Luther Allison in the song Overseas Boogie from Rockpalast 1985. Luther playing with so much fire here.
Luther Allison
Luther Allison (August 17, 1939 – August 12, 1997) was an American blues guitarist. He was born in Widener, Arkansas, and moved with his family, at the age of twelve, to Chicago in 1951. He taught himself guitar and began listening to blues extensively. Three years later he began hanging outside blues nightclubs with the hopes of being invited to perform. He played with Howlin’ Wolf’s band and backed James Cotton. (source: wikipedia.org)
The great Luther Allison, who died in ’97, was a Chicago blues legend who was tutored by Freddie King. He spends most of his time in Europe in the Seventies and Eighties where he was appreciated. Luther returned to the States at the urging of Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records in the Nineties. He went on a relentless touring schedule (pulling those huge crowds in many places) backed by his hard-working European band.
Allison attacked his guitar as if he had a flaming whip and hands of barbed wire, and he sang like he meant every angry or sad word.
When he died aged 57, just when he was hitting yet another peak. His loss was deeply felt by those who had known the hot breath of his intense performances.
