Sunnyland Slim facts for kids

Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew (born September 5, 1907 – died March 17, 1995) was an American blues pianist. He came from the Mississippi Delta region. Later, he moved to Chicago. There, he became a very important piano player in the Chicago blues music scene.

Sunnyland Slim was a key person in Chicago blues history. However, he never became a huge star himself. This was because he often played as a "sideman." A sideman is a musician who plays with a band but is not the main leader.

Life Story

Albert Luandrew was born on a farm near Vance, Mississippi. He taught himself to play both the piano and the organ. When he was 14, he started playing music in a local church. Soon, he was playing in "juke joints" across the Delta area. Juke joints were places where people gathered to listen to music and dance.

In 1925, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee. There, he played with other local musicians. These included Little Brother Montgomery and Ma Rainey. He got his stage name, Sunnyland Slim, in Memphis. He wrote a song about the "Sunnyland" train. This train traveled between Memphis and St. Louis, Missouri. In 1942, he made a big move to Chicago.

Playing Electric Blues

When electric blues music became popular, Sunnyland Slim played with many famous blues musicians. Some of these included Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Lockwood, Jr., and Little Walter.

Sunnyland Slim even helped Muddy Waters start his recording career. He introduced Muddy Waters to the Chess brothers. The Chess brothers owned Chess Records, a famous record label. This introduction happened at Sunnyland Slim's own birthday party!

Sunnyland Slim's first recording was in September 1946. He sang with Jump Jackson's band on the Specialty label. His first time recording as a band leader was in 1947. From 1948 to 1956, he recorded for many different labels. These included Hytone, Opera, Chance, Tempo-Tone, Mercury, Apollo, JOB, Regal, Blue Lake, Club 51, and Cobra.

In 1988, he received a special award. It was called a National Heritage Fellowship. This award honors people who have made important contributions to traditional arts. Sunnyland Slim kept touring and recording music until he passed away in 1995.

Music Albums

Here are some of the albums Sunnyland Slim released:

• 1969 Midnight Jump Beat Goes On
• 1969 Slim's Got His Thing Goin' on Sequel
• 1969 Slim's Shout Prestige/Original Blues Classics
• 1971 Depression Blues Festival Records
• 1973 Plays Ragtime Blues BluesWay
• 1975 Sunnyland Slim & Little Brother Montgomery 77 Records
• 1977 She Got That Jive Airway Records
• 1979 Patience Like Job Airway Records
• 1986 Chicago Jump Evidence
• 1989 Be Careful How You Vote Earwig
• 1991 Live in Europe Airway Records
• 1994 Decoration Day Evidence
• 1994 Chicago Blues Sessions Southland (Select-O-Hits)
• 1995 Live at the D.C. Blues Society Mapleshade Records
• 1995 Sunnyland Train Evidence
• 1998 She Got a Thing Goin' On Blind Pig
• 1999 Smile on My Face Delmark
• 2006 Blues Legends Live Mapleshade Records

See also

In Spanish: Sunnyland Slim para niños