⬇️ BILLY BRANCH ⬇️
(William Earl Branch)
DISCOGRAPHY 1982-2019 (23CD/DVD)
BIOGRAPHY
Branch is a three-time Grammy nominee, a retired two-term governor of the Chicago Grammy Chapter, an Emmy Award winner, and a winner of the Addy Award. In addition, he has received numerous humanitarian and music awards.
Branch was born in Great Lakes, Chicago, Illinois. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was five years old. In 1969 he moved to Chicago, where he graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Branch attended the first Chicago Blues Fest, produced by Willie Dixon,
in 1969. Six years later, after graduating from the University of
Illinois, he was touring with the Chicago Blues All-Stars, led by Willie
Dixon. He soon took the place of the harmonica player Carey Bell, when
Bell left the All-Stars to form his own band.
In the 1970s, Branch founded his own group, the Sons of Blues, with
Lurrie Bell (the son of Carey Bell) on guitar and Freddie Dixon (the son
of Willie Dixon) on bass guitar. They recorded for Alligator Records and,
after a change in personnel, for Red Beans Records. The new band consisted
of Carlos Johnson on guitar and J. W. Williams on vocals and bass guitar.
Branch has also recorded for Verve Records and Evidence Records.
Since then, Branch has played on over 150 different recordings, including
12 under his own name. He has recorded with Willie Dixon, Johnny Winter,
Lou Rawls, Koko Taylor, Eddy Clearwater, Honeyboy Edwards, Syl Johnson,
Lurrie Bell, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Taj Mahal. He has received three
Grammy nominations (losing one nomination to B.B. King and Eric Clapton).
He served two consecutive terms on the Grammy Board of Governors and
currently is chairman of the Grammy Blues Committee.
He has won multiple Blues Music Awards, an Emmy Award, an Addy Award, two
Chicago Music Awards, and numerous humanitarian and achievement awards.
The 2007 Chicago Blues Festival honored the 30th anniversary of Billy
Branch and the Sons of Blues with a three-hour performance. The band also
headlined the 2011 Chicago Blues Festival.
Branch annually appears at major festivals around the world, including
the Montreux Blues Festival, the North Sea Blues Festival, the Cognac
Blues Festivals and Long Beach Blues Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival,
the San Francisco Blues Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival.
The current lineup of the Sons of Blues consists of Branch (harmonica and
vocals), Moses Rutues Jr. (drums and vocals), Sumito Ariyoshi (keyboards
and vocals), and Dan Carelli (guitar and vocals).
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2025-The Blues is My Biography @FLAC