Koko Taylor 1928-2009: R.I.P.

A force of nature: there just may never be another Queen of the Blues...

By Fred Mills

As anyone near a computer, a radio or a TV knows by now, Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor died yesterday (June 3) in Chicago. She'd recently had surgery, on May 19, for gastrointestinal bleeding and apparently post-surgical complications cropped up. The media outpouring was loud and immediate, with critics, fans and blues aficionados alike expressing their sorrow at the lost of this nearly five-decade music industry veteran and member (since 1997) of the Blues Hall of Fame.

Anyone who ever saw Taylor in concert will understand why: a larger-than-life presence when performing, she commanded the stage, stalking from one side to the other as she growled, howled and belted out her songs, eventually winding up at center mic, feet planted firmly as if daring anyone in the audience to challenger her imperial authority. And what a voice: deep and soulful, full of nuance and delicacy as the material required, but with a foghorn component that could still blow the collective socks off an audience at a thousand paces.

From her early recordings with Chess to her latterday albums on Alligator, Taylor consistently added to the rich tapestry of the blues, and it's fitting that her 2007 album Old School landed her a Blues Music Award that year for the "Traditional Blues Album of the Year."

BLURT contributor Rev. Keith A. Gordon, writing on his About.com Blues blog this morning, observed how the singer "overcame poverty, tragedy, and physical infirmity to become one of the most popular blues singers in the world, male or female. Her dynamic live performances and recordings have influenced countless young musicians, including artists like Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, and Susan Tedeschi. Taylor is survived by her husband, daughter, and other family members. Her presence in the world of the blues will be missed greatly."

Indeed she will.

[Photo Credit: Sumori/Wikipedia Commons]