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 | 19 June 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 McKinley Morganfield, who you might know as the legendary blues musician Muddy Waters. Big Bill is also the half-brother of Mud Morganfield.
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About Big Bill Morganfield
Big Bill Morganfield was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Southern Florida with his grandmother. He didn't have much contact with his famous father, Muddy Waters. Today, Big Bill lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Early Life and Education
As a kid, Big Bill listened to his father's blues records. But he also enjoyed popular music like The Jackson Five. He didn't start playing music seriously until later in life. First, he went to college. He earned a degree in English from Tuskegee University. He also got a degree in Communications from Auburn University. After college, he worked as a teacher.
Starting His Music Career
Big Bill didn't begin playing music until after his father passed away in 1983. He spent six years learning to play the guitar. A performance with blues guitarist Lonnie Mack in Atlanta helped him decide to become a musician. Even so, he kept studying traditional blues and songwriting. He also continued to work as a teacher for a while.
His first big chance came in 1996. He and his band, "The Stone Cold Blues Band," played at the Blue Angel Cafe in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This band had professional musicians from Atlanta who helped him start his career. By 1998, he was playing shows all along the East Coast. This led to bigger events like "The Stan Rogers Folk Fest" and the "Montreal Jazz Fest."
Albums and Awards
Big Bill's first official album was called Rising Son. It came out in 1999 on Blind Pig Records. He recorded it in Chicago. Famous blues musicians like Paul Oscher, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Pinetop Perkins played on the album.
In 2000, Big Bill won the W.C. Handy Award for Best New Blues Artist. This was a big honor! The main song from his album, "Rising Son," was even used in the 2004 movie A Love Song for Bobby Long.
His next album, Ramblin' Mind, featured other great musicians. Taj Mahal played on two songs. Billy Branch played harmonica on the album. In 2009, Big Bill released another album called Born Lover. It was produced by Bob Margolin and Brian Bisesi.
Performing Around the World
Throughout the 2000s, Big Bill Morganfield played at many festivals. He performed at music venues all over the world. When he performs, he mostly plays his own songs. Sometimes, he includes a song or two from his father's work.
He even performed at a special event honoring his father, Muddy Waters. This event was held at the Kennedy Center Honors. People say his version of Muddy Waters' song "Got My Mojo Working" is very powerful. His tours in Spain were especially popular. This was partly because of his connection to his famous father.
Big Bill also appeared in the 2024 movie A Complete Unknown. This movie is about the musician Bob Dylan. Big Bill played a blues musician who met and played music with Dylan in a TV studio.
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
