The "Queen of the Blues", arguably the premier working female blues singer, has performed at festivals and clubs around the world. The Boston Globe calls Taylor -- the most decorated female blues singer ever -- a "sweaty, growling goddess of down-and-dirty blues, a force of nature." The Chicago Tribune says "There may be no living artist who embodies the jolting, live-wire feel of Chicago blues more than Koko Taylor."
The woman, best known for her anthems of female power, began singing in Memphis church choirs, and moved to Chicago as an 18-year-old, where her tough voice made her a star on Chess Records during the '60s, going from a maid ("I spent a lot of time on my knees and I don't mean praying. I mean scrubbing folks' floors.") to one of the blues' biggest stars. Known for her full, vibrant, passionate and powerful voice, she's been compared to great blues shouters like Big Mama Thornton and Bessie Smith. She has been nominated for six Grammy awards including "Best Contemporary Blues Album," and fifteen W.C. Handy Awards. "Wang Dang Doodle," written for her by Willie Dixon, was one of the first hit singles for a female blues artist. She has won an unprecedented 15 W.C. Handy awards (the Grammy of the blues world) for, among other things, "Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year."
She opened her own blues club, Koko Taylor's Chicago Blue, in the Rush Street area a couple years ago, which has now closed. In addition, her health hasn't been perfect in recent years, but -- despite a variety of illnesses -- she still exudes happiness. Though her voice isn't what it used to be - critics agree that the upper registers have been pretty well ravaged - her emotion and tonal range is still incredible, and she radiates a spritual sort of warmth.
Taylor underwent successful angioplasty in January '02. She was admitted to a hospital after fainting at her club (which is still being used for private functions). Check out several of her recordings on Alligator Records.
For more information, visit their website: http://www.alligator.com/artists/bio.cfm?ArtistID=004
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