Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
In Memoriam: Rodney Holmes, 1966–2026
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Singer Koko Taylor, known worldwide as the queen of Chicago blues, died on Wednesday of gastrointestinal bleeding. She was 80.
Taylor, who was born in Tennessee, was singing since childhood and took her love of music to Chicago, when she made the city her home in 1952. She sang in Chicago’s then-thriving blues clubs and her aggressive growl caught the attention of Willie Dixon, who brought her to Chess Records. At Chess, she recorded her 1965 hit and life-time signature song, “Wang Dang Doodle.”
Even though rock-influenced flashy guitarists dominated much of the blues business in the 1970s and ‘80s, Taylor had a supportive musical home with Chicago’s Alligator Records, which signed her in 1977. She relentlessly toured blues festivals, clubs and theaters worldwide in the decades that followed. Her last album, Old School was released on the label in 2007.
“My career is much better now than it was 20 years ago,” Taylor told DownBeat shortly after recording Old School . “I’m doing a wonderful job to be my age, but I’m not a youngster. I don’t have the energy today that I had 10 years ago, but I’m not about to give up.”
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
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