Jimmy Reed

Born in Dunleith, Mississippi, in 1925, Jimmy Reed was one of the most influential and popular figures of the early electric blues era, and his elegantly simple songs have been covered by the likes of the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley. He moved to Chicago in 1943 to pursue a musical career, but was soon drafted and served in the Navy during the final years of the war. Upon discharge, he returned to Mississippi long enough to wed before relocating to Gary, Indiana, where he began working behind fellow bluesman John Brim. After Chess Records declined to sign him, he became one of the first artists on the fledgling Vee-Jay imprint. His first few singles flopped, but starting with 1955’s “You Don’t Have to Go,” Reed became one of the label’s biggest artists, releasing a steady string of hits through 1961, including “Baby What You Want Me to Do” and “Bright Lights, Big City.” When Vee-Jay shut down in 1964, he signed with BluesWay, a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount, although he failed to replicate his earlier success. Reed continued to tour and record until dying from respiratory failure in 1976, just shy of his 51st birthday.