Annie Raines facts for kids
Annie Raines (born July 3, 1969, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American musician. She is best known for playing the harmonica. She grew up in Newton, Massachusetts.
Annie Raines: Harmonica Star
Her Musical Start
Annie Raines started playing the harmonica when she was 17 years old. She loved the sounds of famous blues musicians. Some of these included Muddy Waters and Little Walter. She spent time learning from these Chicago blues masters.
Annie decided to leave college to focus on her music career. She began playing music on the street, which is called busking. She also played gigs in clubs around Boston. Later, she traveled to Chicago. There, she met and played with other blues legends like Pinetop Perkins and James Cotton. While performing regularly, Annie also taught harmonica. She started to create her own unique blues style.
Playing with Paul Rishell
Annie met musician Paul Rishell and they began working together. Paul helped Annie with her harmonica, piano, singing, and songwriting. This partnership allowed her to learn about country blues artists. She studied musicians like Noah Lewis and Sonny Terry. More recently, Annie also started playing the mandolin.
