Mississippi's Eddie Cotton (aka Eddie Cotton, Jr.) is a soulful guitarist and singer with a bent toward mixing earthy, electric and acoustic blues and contemporary R&B. Born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1970, Cotton grew up in nearby Clinton, the son of a minister, and first became interested in music while performing gospel music in church. By his teens, Cotton was an accomplished guitarist, heavily influenced by such legends as B.B. King, Albert King, Howlin' Wolf, and Buddy Guy. After high school, Cotton studied music theory at Jackson State University, where he also began playing jazz. During this time, he befriended local blues icon King Edward, who invited Cotton to join his band on their weekly show at Jackson's Subway Lounge. After two years with Edward, Cotton formed his own band, the Mississippi Cotton Club, and released the independently produced album, You're the Girl in 1998. Several more highly acclaimed independent releases followed including Live at the Alamo Theater (2000), Live: Back at the Alamo Theatre (2007), and Extra (2007). When not performing, Cotton remains close to home as a minister and church administrator at the church his father founded in Clinton. In 2014, Cotton released the studio album Here I Come on DeChamp Records. ~ Matt Collar