Koko Taylor

Koko Taylor (2006)

Koko Taylor (born Cora Walton ; born September 28, 1928 in Memphis , Tennessee ; † June 3, 2009 in Chicago , Illinois ) was an American blues singer.

Born and raised near Memphis, Tennessee, Koko Taylor moved to Chicago with her husband, truck driver Robert Pops Taylor, in 1954 . She started singing in Chicago blues clubs where she met Willie Dixon in 1962. From 1965 she had a recording contract with Chess Records . Her single Wang Dang Doodle , written by Dixon, became a hit.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Taylor performed across the United States. In 1975 she signed a contract with Alligator Records, under which she released a considerable number of albums. In 1980 she received the WC Handy Award for best female blues artist, which she received the following year in the same category. In 1985 she received a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album.

In the 1990s, Koko Taylor made appearances in various films, such as the Blues Brothers 2000 . She opened a blues club in Chicago in 1994, which closed again in 1999. She died of complications after surgery.

Koko Taylor influenced many blues musicians, including Bonnie Raitt , Shemekia Copeland , Janis Joplin , Shannon Curfman and Susan Tedeschi .

Discography

1972 Basic Soul Chess 1973 South Side Lady Evidence 1975 I Got What It Takes Alligator 1975 Queen of the Blues Alligator 1975 Southside Baby Black & Blue 1977 What it Takes The Chess Years Hip-O Select / Geffen 1978 The Earthshaker Alligator 1981 From the Heart of a Woman Alligator

1987 An Audience with Koko Taylor [live] Alligator 1990 Jump for Joy Alligator 1990 Love You Like a Woman Charly Records 1991 Wang Dang Doodle Huub 1992 Voodo Women 1993 Force of Nature Alligator 2000 Royal Blue Alligator 2002 Deluxe Edition Alligator 2007 Old School Alligator Living Blues Award 2008

Web links

• Koko Taylor in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Obituary in the Guardian