Louisiana Red

Blues
Louisiana Red is one of a handful of blues musicians of his generation who are still performing, and one of the great international blues ambassadors. He's a master guitarist who plays acoustic, electric and slide accompanied by intense, expressive vocals.
His playing encompasses the Delta to Chicago migration in a way that is powerful, raw and personal. The compelling lyrics he pens and delivers with such honesty set him apart. Iverson Minter (aka Louisiana Red) was born in Bessemer, Alabama, on March 23,1932. His mother died of pneumonia a week after his birth, and his father was killed when he was five years old, reportedly by the Klu Klux Klan. He eventually ended up in an orphanage in New Orleans where he stayed for three years until rescued by his grandmother and taken to her home in Pittsburgh. It was she who gave him his first guitar a few years later, and he honed his skills while playing for tips on the streets of Pittsburgh. He recorded under various pseudonyms before settling on "Louisiana Red," a nickname apparently derived from his love of Louisiana hot sauce. For several years during its heyday in the 50's, he was part of the Detroit blues scene, playing with the likes of Little Walter, Eddie "Guitar" Burns, John Lee Hooker and Eddie Kirkland. He recorded many times during these years, including some excellent recordings for Atlantic. In the 60's, his "Red's Dream," sold over a million copies. During the 1980's, when the demand for traditional blues in the U.S. seemed at an all-time low, Red moved to Germany. It wasn't until the summer of 1998 that Red returned for a brief tour in the U.S. where his performances were greeted with great enthusiasm. Louisiana Red's new recording, Millennium Blues, is his first domestic release since moving to Europe almost 20 years ago. It has been nominated for four W.C. Handy Awards including Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year, Blues Album of the Year and Blues Song of the Year for "Orphanage Home Blues." Red and his wife Dora continue to make their home in Germany, and the National is proud to be able to present this outstanding artist in one of his still all-too-rare U.S. appearances.

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Music Sampler : Orphanage Home Blues