Traveling Blues-IDC International Radio, Oct. 9, 2019 (ep.419)

Remembering Ginger Baker and Beverly Guitar Watkins who passed on last week ********** “My style is real Lightnin’ Hopkins lowdown blues. I call it hard classic blues, stompin’ blues, railroad smokin’ blues.” – Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. If you’ve never seen a blues lady who can play her guitar behind her head, belt out songs and roll over to sweet gospel, you’ve never been in the house when Beverly “Guitar” Watkins was on stage. Beverly “Guitar” Watkins was an unsung blues guitar legend known for her attacking playing style. She was said to play like Jimi Hendrix (playing behind her head) and Pete Townsend, and influenced many musicians including John Lennon. Though she started playing the guitar at a young age and played with James Brown and Ray Charles, she achieved greater recognition much later. After some down years in music, she was working various odd jobs, until she became a regular on Atlanta’s blues scene in the 1980s. The Music Maker Relief Foundation set her up on tour with Koko Taylor in 1998 and released her first album at the age of 60. She continued playing live until she suffered a stroke in July 2019.