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Luther Allison

Published September 1, 1997 in Features
Luther Allison

Luther Allison

Luther Allison

Award winning blues superstar Luther Allison died Tuesday, August 12 in Madison, WI, from cancer. The critically acclaimed Allison, who recently won three W.C. Handy Awards (including his second consecutive Blues Entertainer Of The Year award), was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and metastatic brain tumors on July 10. He was 57.

Born in Widener, Arkansas on August 17, 1939, Allison spent his formative musical years in Chicago jamming with the West Side’s best, including Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Freddie King. His first recording, Love Me Mama (Delmark, 1969), is considered a blues classic. Allison came to national prominence with blistering performances at the 1969 and 1970 Ann Arbor Blues Festivals, wowing young rock fans with his scorching guitar solos and soulful vocals. He became the first blues act to sign with Motown Records in 1971, subsequently releasing three records for the label. He toured nationally throughout the 1970s before relocating to Paris in the early 1980s where he continued to release albums (many issued only in Europe) and tour incessantly, eventually becoming a European blues superstar.

Since signing with Alligator in 1994, Allison launched a major American comeback. 1994’s Soul Fixin’ Man, 1995’s Blue Streak and the new release, Reckless, provided a launching pad for Allison and his searing brand of hard blues. Besides his recent W.C. Handy Awards, Allison scored a host of Living Blues Awards (including 10 last year and three more this year), won five Handy Awards last year, and was featured on the covers of the three major national blues publications, Living Blues, Blues Access, and Blues Revue (who dubbed him “The New King Of The Blues”). He appeared on Late Night With Conan O’Brien, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, and The House Of Blues Radio Hour. Reckless has been on the Billboard Blues Chart for 12 weeks, and has topped the Living Blues Radio Charts since May.

Throughout it all, Allison delivered one show-stopping performance after another (many clocking in between three and four hours) during his recent 1997 North American tour. His boundless energy and fierce guitar attack combined to make Allison a favourite among blues and rock fans alike. Contributions (for helping with incurred medical expenses) may be sent to The Blues Community Foundation, Box 607698, Chicago, IL 60660 (specify “Luther Allison Fund” on the cheque).

A Friend Remembers…

Florida artists’ manager Gloria Pierce, originally from Chicago, was one of the many friends of Luther Allison‘s who attended his funeral and the jam that followed at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. We thank her for granting us permission to re-print her moving post on Blues-L.

MAGIC was in the Chapel on Aug. 17th. Luther Allison touched us all. By the time everything ended, I knew that he was there touching everyone in that room. Lives were changed in those hours and people came together that had been separated for 25 years or more.

I have never in my entire life experienced anything so moving, so spiritually awakening, so magical, and bonded with so many people. I watched walls come down between family members and people who had been emotionally separated, angrily at times, feeling bad vibrations – and they crumbled into a magical celebration of Luther’s touch of the soul. He was there orchestrating this. You could feel his presence in the room. Even the Snickers candy bar which had been with him in the casket on Sunday all day (he was a Snickers freak) was mysteriously gone on Monday morning. We who were looking for it – family members and a few others, decided that Luther got hungry during the night and came and got his Snickers.

After four hours of visitation with so many family, friends, musicians (too many to start listing by name, because I know I’d miss too many and wasn’t really sure of all of who was there), Luther’s music playing inside the chapel, the services began at 7:00 p.m. Miki Mulvehill‘s father, Pat Mulvehill, opened the sky with his eulogy and acted as sort of an MC and opened the room up to anyone who wanted to speak after the family. He was brilliant! For the first hour and a half there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. He brought Luther’s soul to our hearts. He was able to capture the real essence of “The Soul Fixin Man” and to touch each and every one of us in a way that only Luther could ever do.

Quote from memorial brochure:

Luther Allison lived life to its fullest. Although his life was short, the joy he gave to the world was more than most are able to give in many more years. Both on and off the bandstand, he spread love to everyone he touched. He was a man who brought people together. He saw only people, never black or white, male or female, rich or poor. To those of us who hurt, and those of us who felt alone, he offered his voice, his fingers, his sweat, his body, and his soul to each who heard. He made us smile; he made us dance; he brought us together; he made us care about each other: He was a true soul fixin’ man.

Luther S. Allison was born at midnight, August 17-18, 1939, to Elizabeth and Grant Allison, in Widener, Arkansas, the 14th of 15 children. His family moved to Chicago in 1951. He discovered his music talent in his teenage years, and by the age of 18 he began playing professionally.

Luther’s musical career spanned 41 years, 22 commercially released recordings and thousands of gigs the world over. His fondest wish was for those who loved him to love one another and make peace in the world.

So many people, family, musicians and many he played with, extended family, extended-extended family – all who felt so touched by him and who wanted to get up and speak could. They relayed, feelings, love, anecdotal memories, experiences, humor and song. It was truly wonderful. Musical pieces were interspersed throughout the comments and testimonials.

Of particular delight to me was being able to meet Luther’s son, Luther T. Allison, Bernard’s older brother. He lives not far from me in Ft. Lauderdale. He relayed a wonderful “Soul Fixin’ story during the services and has recently taken more interest in his father’s legacy of music. He does not play, but is getting involved in his own way. We spoke for quite some time and now plan to work together on some things here with Bernard, starting with a tribute to “Pops” as he calls his dad. I am very excited about being able to further Luther’s music, message and feelings to the world.

So many of Luther’s friends were there, too many for me to list, although many of you on Blues-L will know them. Many blues musicians, festival organizers, record producers like Bruce Iglauer and Thomas Ruf were there. Bruce led the jam session at Legends and related his earliest experiences in the music business which centered around Luther.

At Legends, the jam was phenomenal, led off by Luther’s band – The James Solberg Band. This was where everyone really got close. It was incredible.

I personally felt touched by the people I got to know so much better, especially, Miki Mulvehill, who managed as she does so well, the whole celebration, her dad Pat Mulvehill, an inspiration in life, Bobby Rush – who besides being the great performer that he is, is a wonderful person and has become a great friend, Michael Cloren from the Poconos Festivals, who as I felt, was so unbelieveably touched with the entire experience, Beverly – “HippieLady”, and forgive me all for forgetting the name of the wonderful lady from the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, James Solberg’s band, Luther Allison Jr. and the ever so wonderful Rocky Brown, Luther’s partner/manager for 27 years. She exudes all that Luther was about — she is truly beautiful.

I don’t think anyone could have paid any amount of money for the experience we all had. Luther is still alive inside of each one of us – he was there letting us know how to carry on and how to live a better life. It was my “Soul Fixin’ Experience”. I will never be the same and I am thankful for that.

– Gloria Pierce, GPierce Artist Management, Miami, FL

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