Robert Lockwood Jr., Cleveland's great bluesman, dies at 91

[johnnie]

Grammy Award-nominated bluesman Robert Lockwood Jr., one of the last direct links to the primal blues of the Mississippi Delta and a popular fixture on Cleveland's music scene for decades, died of respiratory failure Tuesday afternoon at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. He was 91.

The singer-guitarist had been in the hospital since he suffered a stroke Nov. 3.

Lockwood "was a giant of American musicians," said his friend Nick Amster. "He was extremely influential."

Lockwood was born in Turkey Scratch, Ark. He moved to Cleveland in 1960.

When he was 11, Lockwood began taking guitar lessons from legendary blues pioneer Robert Johnson, a drifter who briefly moved in with Lockwood's mother.

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http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1164189449118180.xml&coll=2

[enigmatic]

1. Dammit Dammit

The man was a Blues God; I saw him I guess a half-dozen times when I still lived in Clevo. What a loss...

Johnnie, is the Mr. Stress Band still around?

[johnnie]

2. He was a legend

One of the very few originals left.

I think Mr. Stress is retired. He got sick and had a few heart problems and I don't think he plays anymore. I could be wrong, but I know I don't hear about his band much any longer.

[johnnie]

3. Kick for Robert Lockwood

[Book Lover]

4. Jesus! I just learned about the man months ago

and he ups and dies. Well, then. There you go.

<snip>
As a solo artist, he had a sporadic recording career, although his work did not go unnoticed. He earned Grammy nominations for two albums: 1998's "I Got to Find Me a Woman" and 2000's "Delta Crossroads."

When the latter CD lost to a collaboration between Eric Clapton and King in the best-traditional-blues-album category, Lockwood declared: "You know damn well my album is more traditional than theirs."
<snip>

[Zomby Woof]

5. RIP, Robert

Always sad to lose another old bluesman.