Big Bill Morganfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Big Bill Morganfield
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Morganfield performing at Burnley Blues Festival, April 2006. Photo: Phil Wight
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Morganfield |
| Born | June 19, 1956 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | Blues, R&B, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, teacher |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1990 – present |
| Labels | Taxim, Blind Pig, Black Shuck |
William "Big Bill" Morganfield (born June 19, 1956) is an American blues singer and guitarist. He is the son of the legendary blues musician McKinley Morganfield, who is better known as Muddy Waters. Big Bill is also the half-brother of another blues singer, Mud Morganfield.
Contents
A Musician's Journey
Big Bill Morganfield was born in Chicago, but he did not have much contact with his famous father. He was raised by his grandmother in Southern Florida and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. As a kid, he listened to his dad's records, but he also enjoyed popular groups like The Jackson Five.
From Teacher to Musician
Music was not Big Bill's first career. He first went to college, earning a degree in English from Tuskegee University and another in Communications from Auburn University. After graduating, he worked as a teacher.
It was only after his father passed away in 1983 that Big Bill began to take music seriously. He spent the next six years learning how to play the guitar. A performance with musician Lonnie Mack in Atlanta went so well that it convinced him to pursue music as a career. Still, he wanted to perfect his skills, so he continued to study traditional blues music and songwriting while still working as a teacher.
Starting His Career
Big Bill got his first big break in 1996. He and his group, "The Stone Cold Blues Band," played at a cafe in Tennessee and started getting noticed. Soon, he was playing at major events like the "Montreal Jazz Fest."
In 1999, he released his first album, Rising Son. It was recorded in Chicago and featured some of his father's old bandmates, including Pinetop Perkins. The album was a huge success. In 2000, Big Bill won the W.C. Handy Award for Best New Blues Artist, which is a very important award in the world of blues music.
Albums and Performances
Morganfield's next album, Ramblin' Mind, featured the famous musician Taj Mahal on two tracks. In 2009, he released another album called Born Lover.
Throughout the 2000s, Big Bill Morganfield became a star. He performed at festivals and concert halls all over the world. In his shows, he plays his own songs and sometimes performs songs made famous by his father. He even performed at a special event at the Kennedy Center Honors to celebrate his father's music.
Morganfield also appeared in the 2024 movie A Complete Unknown, a film about the life of Bob Dylan. In the movie, he played a blues musician.
Discography
- 1997 - Nineteen Years Old
- 1999 - Rising Son
- 2001 - Ramblin' Mind
- 2003 - Blues in the Blood
- 2009 - Born Lover
- 2013 - Blues With a Mood
- 2016 - Bloodstains on the Wall
See also
- List of Auburn University people
- List of guitarists by genre
