Pinetop Perkins
Pianist
One of the last and greatest Mississippi bluesmen who set the style and the benchmark for other blues pianists.
He began playing blues in his 20s as a guitarist, but a fight with a showgirl in Arkansas caused him to injure the tendons in his left arm, prompting him to switch to piano instead.
He played with Muddy Waters for over a decade. He later formed The Legendary Blues Band. He performed well into the 2000s. He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
He was born Joseph William Perkins in Belzoni, Mississippi.
He played with the master blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin on his 1998 album Legends. He blended traditional blues with more modern rock.