who is your favorite blues artist

[Jerome]

Robert Cray . . .

Great blues player!

[SteveO]

[video=youtube;fALdOkf_eCM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fALdOkf_eCM[/video]

[hapiper]

I think you have to at least listen to the roots of the Blues and I don't think the blues of today would be what it is without Robert Johnson, there were blues guitar players before him but his unique tunings and playing revolutionized the blues in a way few others have done. Besides Robert Johnson I like a contemporary of his, Son House. The are a couple of films clips of him playing that survived and are on youtube. To see him actually playing those songs is something else, not only could he play the heck out of a guitar, he had a style all his own. More modern performers, I like Willie Dixon, not only is he a great performer, he wrote a lot of the songs that made Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf big hits. As I already mentioned Muddy and Howling Wolf, add to that John Lee, he can do it all and that's for sure. A band nobody has mentioned yet..The Allman Brothers. Another band, not individual, I like is Hot Tuna. I really like Sonny Boy Williamson, not only a great harmonica player but he was a pretty good singer as well. I also listen to, and like, Buddy Guy and SRV.
Having said all that, all you have to do is look at the huge stack of this mans cd's that I have to know who my absolute favorite is, BB King. They don't call him the king of the blues for nothing. One thing a lot of blues players could learn from him, don't play a note if it's not needed. I like all the other King's too, even thought they were not directly related, Freddie and Albert, but BB is the best.