Beverly Watkins facts for kids

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins (April 6, 1939 – October 1, 2019) was an amazing American blues guitarist and singer. People often called her "Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins" because of her incredible guitar skills. She was known for her powerful and energetic way of playing the guitar. One reviewer even said she played with so much skill that she impressed musicians much younger than her!

Biography

Early Life and Music

Beverly Watkins was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1939. When she was about 12 years old, her family moved to Commerce, Georgia. She started playing music while she was in school. In high school, she played bass guitar for a band called Billy West Stone and the Down Beats.

Around 1959, she met Piano Red. He had a daily radio show on WAOK. Beverly then joined Piano Red and the Meter-tones. They played in many towns around Atlanta. They also performed in Atlanta clubs like the Magnolia Ballroom. Soon, they started touring all over the southeastern United States. They often played at colleges.

Touring and Hit Songs

Later, the group changed its name to Piano Red and the Houserockers. They began touring across the whole country. The band had two popular songs: "Dr. Feelgood" and "Right String but the Wrong Yo-Yo". After recording "Dr. Feelgood", the group was sometimes known as Dr. Feelgood & The Interns. Other talented musicians in the band included Roy Lee Johnson and Albert White.

Later Career and Recognition

After the band broke up around 1965, Beverly Watkins continued to play music. She performed with other groups like Eddie Tigner and the Ink Spots. She also played with Leroy Redding and the Houserockers until the late 1980s. After that, she stayed in Atlanta. She became a well-known performer at Underground Atlanta.

Beverly Watkins had a long music career. She worked with famous artists such as James Brown, B.B. King, and Ray Charles. For a long time, it was hard for her music to get played on the radio. She became more widely known later in her career. This happened when the internet made it easier for musicians to share their music.

A group called the Music Maker Relief Foundation helped her get noticed. Their founder, Tim Duffy, started booking her for shows. In 1998, she joined an all-star tour called "Hot Mamas". She performed with other great blues artists like Koko Taylor. Her first CD, Back in Business, came out in 1999. It was even nominated for a W. C. Handy Award.

Beverly Watkins played music all over the world. She performed at the Ottawa Blues Fest in Canada in 2004. She also continued to play in her hometown of Atlanta. She had a surgery in 2005 but recovered well. In 2008, she performed at the Cognac Blues Festival. Beverly Watkins passed away after a heart attack on October 1, 2019. She was 80 years old.