July 7, 1913 Joseph William “Pinetop” Perkins, blues musician, was born in Belzoni, Mississippi. In the 1950s, Perkins began touring with Earl Hooker. Perkins then relocated to Illinois and left music until Hooker convinced him to record again in 1968. In 1969, Perkins joined the Muddy Waters band and played with them for more than a decade. After leaving Waters’ band, Perkins played with various other musicians through the 1980s. In 1988, his first recording as leader, “After Hours,” was released. In 2005, Perkins received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2008 he won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album for “Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live in Dallas.” Perkins also won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album for “Joined at the Hip: Pinetop Perkins & Willie “Big Eyes” Smith,” making him the oldest recipient of a Grammy Award. Perkins died March 21, 2011.
