Having being held in Billie Holiday’s arms when he was just a kid must have been a sort of good omen and blessing for Sugar Blue, whose early partnerships include bluesman Louisiana Blue and Johnny Shines.
After moving to Paris in 1978 he recorded and toured with the Rolling Stones: it’s his harmonica tune on “Miss You” that compels you to whistle along. Later on, he was mentored and worked with blues musician Willie Dixon, with whom he jointly won his second Grammy Award for Dixon’s album “Charms” (1988). He had been awarded a first Grammy in 1985 as his “Blues Explosion” was nominated Best Traditional Blues Album.
As his fame grew, a lot of well-known blues and rock artists wanted him to play by their side: Bob Dylan, Prince, Stan Getz, Frank Zappa, Art Blakey, B.B. King are just a few music icons with whom he crossed paths over the years.
This living legend of blues harmonica will make his comeback to the scenes this April, 27and 28 at the Blue Note in Beijing.