Joseph William Perkins American jazz pianist, singer. Date of Birth: 07.07.1913 Country: USA

1. Biography of Joseph William Perkins
2. Early Life and Career Beginnings
3. Rise to Fame
4. Later Career and Legacy
5. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Joseph William Perkins

Joseph William Perkins was an American jazz pianist and singer. He worked with several renowned figures in American blues and rock and roll and was honored with numerous awards, including a Grammy and a place in the Blues Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born in Belzoni, Mississippi, Joseph Perkins initially played the guitar. However, he injured the tendons in his left hand during a fight with a female vocalist in Arkansas, which led him to switch to playing the piano. He joined Robert Nighthawk's radio station KFFA and later became part of Sonny Boy Williamson's project, "King Biscuit Time." Perkins and Nighthawk collaborated in 1950 on the recording of "Jackson Town Gal."

Rise to Fame

In the 1950s, Joseph embarked on a journey with Earl Hooker. Along the way, they stopped at Sam Phillips' studio to record "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie," a composition by Pinetop Smith. It was during this recording that Perkins earned his nickname. Despite the song being written in 1928 when Perkins was only 15 years old, he finally gained recognition for it. After traveling, Perkins settled in Illinois and momentarily stepped away from music. It was not until 1968 that Hooker convinced him to return to active performing.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1969, Joseph joined the group "Muddy Waters" as a replacement for Otis Spann. He remained with the band for over a decade and eventually formed his own group, "The Legendary Blues Band." They recorded sporadically throughout the late '70s, '80s, and early '90s. Perkins also frequently assisted other bands and artists in recording albums. However, it took him a long time to release a full album of his own compositions. Finally, in 1988, his album "After Hours" was released under the "Blind Pig Records" label. Perkins continued to perform, and in 1992, he released another album titled "On Top," featuring pianist Jerry Portnoy. In 1998, he collaborated with guitarist Hubert Sumlin on the album "Legends."

Later Years and Legacy

In 2004, Joseph was involved in a unique car accident when his vehicle was struck by a passing train. Fortunately, the 91-year-old driver escaped serious injury. Until his death, Perkins resided in Austin, Texas, where he performed at local clubs several times a week. In 2005, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, followed by another Grammy in 2008 for the album "Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas," recorded with Henry James Townsend, Robert Lockwood Jr., and David Honeyboy Edwards. Perkins earned his third Grammy at the age of 97 for the "Best Traditional Blues Album." On March 21, 2011, Perkins passed away at his home in Austin due to a heart failure.