Pinetop Perkins, the legendary Austin based blues piano player, has died from cardiac arrest at the age of 97.
A statement at his official website reads “It is with deep sadness that we announce Pinetop Perkins passed away peacefully at home on Monday, March 21, 2011 in Austin, TX at the age of 97.
“Arrangements are pending and will be announced as soon as they are formalized”.
Joseph Williams ‘Pinetop’ Perkins was born in Belzoni, Mississippi on July 7, 1913. He was one of the Mississippi Bluesmen and a close friend of Robert Johnson.
Pinetop started his career as a guitarist but in his youth injured his arm in a fight with a choirgirl and was no longer able to play guitar … so he switched to piano.
Pinetop played in the Muddy Waters band for more than a decade from1969. He had a brief appearance in the Blues Brothers movie (in the scene with John Lee Hooker). He was also in the 1987 movie ‘Angel Heart’ in Toot Sweet’s band.
This year he won a Grammy Award for his 2010 album ‘Joined At The Hip’ with Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith.
Pinetop Perkins cheated death in 2004 when the car he was driving (at age 92) was hit by a train. The car was a right-off. Perkins was uninjured.
In a statement, B.B. King said, “he was one of the last great Mississippi Bluesmen. He had such a distinctive voice, and he sure could play the piano. He will be missed not only by me, but by lovers of music all over the world."
Until last year, Perkins owned Nuno’s Bar on 6th Street, Austin where until recently he would perform a few nights every week.
The only surviving Mississippi bluesmen now is David ‘Honeyboy’ Edwards. He is 95.
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