The Chicago Blues scene of this period was very vibrant and active and at the same time it had not yet come into the mainstream. Many of the great artists who made this music legendary during the 1950s were still active and in great form and some newer artists were coming into their own and became stars in their own right. The old school of playing blues was still king but it had developed into a music reflective of both the past and the present. It was during this time period that Bob Corritore was deeply involved in the City’s blues scene. Here are some memorable photos from these good old days.
Johnny Littlejohn
Junior Wells promo card
Sunnyland Slim
Willie Mabon and fans (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Sunnyland Slim & Louis Myers (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Muddy Waters
Billy Boy Arnold, Louis Myers & Big Moose Walker performing mid 70s at South Side in Chicago, IL (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Billy Boy Arnold & Louis Myers performing mid 70s at South Side in Chicago, IL (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Little Willie Anderson with Jimmie Lee Robinson in the background. (Photo by Jim O’Neal)
Big Smokey Smothers (Photo Courtesy of Illinois Slim)
Louis Myers (Photo by Amy Van Singel, Courtesy of Illinois Slim)
Willie Black, Freddie Below, Lacey Gibson (Photo Courtesy of Illinois Slim)
Chico Chism at B.L.U.E.S. – Early 1980s (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Blind John Davis With S.P. Leary on Drums (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Floyd Jones Promotional Photo
Brenda Taylor (Eddie Taylor’s Daughter) & Bob Corritore
George Beasley, Sammy Lawhorn, Jimmie Lee Robinson, Willie Black, Little Willie Anderson at B.L.U.E.S. – 1979 (Photo by Jim O’Neal)
Freddy Below Promotional Photo (Photo Courtesy of Illinois Slim)
Lester Davenport & Little Willie Anderson Outside of B.L.U.E.S. (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Little Willie Anderson & Lester Davenport (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Little Mack Simmons Promo Card
Big Leon Brooks at Kingston Mines – This Was Bob’s First Time Seeing Big Leon (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Mojo Buford at Theresa’s (Photo by Jim O’Neal)
Odie Payne at B.L.U.E.S. (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Big Leon Brooks (Photo by D. Shigley)
Eddie Taylor in the Chicago Reader
Oliver Davis, Bob Corritore, W.W. Williams at the Delta Fish Market (Photo by Illinois Slim)
Sammy Lawhorn at Theresa’s (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Willie Kent & Tim Taylor (Photo by Bob “Slim” Rader)
Eddie Taylor & Little Willie Anderson at B.L.U.E.S. – Steve Cushing in Background (Photo Courtesy of Steve Cushing)
Hester Brooks (Leon’s Widow), Bob Corritore, Illinois Slim, Tail Dragger, Hubert Sumlin’s Daughter at the Delta Fish Market
Honeyboy Edwards Blues Band
Michael Frank, Honeyboy Edwards, Kansas City Red, Floyd Jones (Photo Courtesy of Michael Frank)
Good Rockin’ Charles Promotional Photo for the American Blues Legends Tour for Big Bear Records – 1979
Hip Lankchan Promotional Photo – 1970s
Willie Buck – 1970s
Chico Chism Promotional Photo – 1979
Chico Chism Handbill
Eddy “Chief” Clearwater Promotional Photo – Please Note Eddy’s Note to Chico Chism
Lee Jackson Playing Hubert Sumlin’s Guitar (The Day After Howlin’ Wolf Died) – 1815 Club in West Side Chicago (Photo by Bob Corritore)
Thanks to Bill Lupkin for sharing these amazing photos. Bill was the harmonica player in the Jimmy Rogers Blues Band and the Bob Riedy Blues Band in the early 1970s. These images provide an insider’s view of the Chicago blues scene of that time period. All photos by / courtesy of Bill Lupkin.
Billy Boy Arnold & Lefty Dizz at Ma Bea’s – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Jimmy Dawkins reading the paper, Voice Odom pointing, and drummer Lester, Sunday morning at Bea’s.
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Billy Boy Arnold & Lefty Dizz at Ma Bea’s – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Lefty Dizz at Ma Bea’s
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Steve Lupkin on Bass & Billy Boy Arnold on Harp
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Jimmy Dawkins
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Johnny Young at Alice’s – 1970
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
At the End of the Evening at Ma Bea’s
Richard Robinson, Johnny Littlejohn, Unidentified Bass Player
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Big Bad Ben, Steve Lupkin, Bob Riedy at Alice’s
(Photo by Bill Lupkin)
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Bob Riedy & Jimmy Dawkins at Ma Bea’s – 1970
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Johnny Littlejohn Playing the Drums at Ma Bea’s – 1970
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Hound Dog Taylor at Ma Bea’s
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Bob Riedy, Bill Lupkin, Howlin’ Wolf at Ma Bea’s – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Hound Dog Taylor at Ma Bea’s – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Bill Lupin, Johnny Littleton, Jimmy Rogers at Klark Kent’s Super Joynt – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Hound Dog Taylor at Ma Bea’s – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Steve Lupkin, Bob Riedy, Bill Lupkin, Richard Robinson, Jim Kahr, Jimmy Rogers, Freddie King
Gold Tailed Bird Session
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Voice Odom at Ma Bea’s – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Unidentified Guitar Player
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
The Lady Herself – Ma Bea – 1970
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Illinois Slim and myself believe this photo to be Big Bad Ben but Bill Lupkin says it is Little Mack Simmons.
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Richard “Hubcap” Robinson at Ma Bea’s – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Johnny Littlejohn & Son – April 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Bob Riedy & B.B. Jr. at Ma Bea’s – 1971
Photo courtesy Bill Lupkin Archives.
Sunnyland Slim. Photo Bob Corritore.
Theresa Needham, the proprietor of Theresa’s Lounge. Photo by Alan Harper.
Eddy Clearwater and Carey Bell.
Floyd Jones and Big John Wencher
Big John Wrencher, Floyd Jones, Big Guitar Red at Elsewhere, Sept 7, 1976. Photo Gerrit Robs.
Bob Corritore and Lonnie Brooks at Wise Fools Pub 1975.
Eddie Shaw with Hubert Sumlin at Eddie’s Place AKA The New 1815 Club. Photo Bob Corritore.
Smokey Smothers at Blues On Halsted. Photo Bob Corritore.
Eddie Shaw & The Wolf Gang poster from 1976. Howlin’ Wolf had died earlier that year and Eddie Shaw did his best to keep the band together.
Poster courtesy of Illinois Slim.
Floyd Jones and Homesick James, 1979 at Blues On Halsted. Photo Alan Harper.
Bob Corritore - Official Website 
Such treasures. I am a London boy, grew up in the BLUES WAVE that hit England in the early sixties that created the Stones and many others, had a band, ThE MoTiVaTioN, played only Chicago style (we thought) we were white boys from poor families who identified with the music, I knew Sonny Boy Williams in London ’64, Knew Gomelsky and the Yardbirds, Champion Jack Dupree, visited Memphis Slim in his Paris home, knew Clapton when he was 19 and I was 15 sneaking into clubs, I have been playing harmonica since I was 13, Forest City Joe is one of my heroes, great to see your photos. Are you playing? I live in Southern France, looking for a band to play with again, apart from my brother. Check out Berne Williams, was THE AUTHENTICS, lives in, Williams Blues Zone, there are a lot of us still kicking around, memories of visits by Muddy et all in the 60s and 70s. Best Wishes
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