Joseph William Perkins, better known as Pinetop Perkins, turned 96 on Tuesday, July 7th and did what he loves…. played the blues. Originally a guitarist, Perkins injured some tendons in his left arm in a fight and shifted to the piano.
He toured with Earl Hooker in the 1950s and played for most of the 1970s in Muddy Water’s band (where he had replaced the great Otis Spann). He squeezed in stints in-between working as Robert Nighthawk’s slide guitarist (his work can be heard on some early Chess recordings), cut a few tracks at Sun Records (where Elvis, Johnny Cash and others recorded) and briefly played with BB King. He also spent 5 years (prior to his arm injury) playing guitar for Sonny Boy Williamson on the King Biscuit Radio program in Arkansas.
In 2005 Perkins was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Pinetop Perkins is continuing to engage in the thing that he’s always loved–making great blues music. At Engage As You Age we believe that everyone should continue to pursue their passions. We’re here to help people connect with the things that they love even if they’re homebound or stuck in their own bed. We’ll find a creative way to bring what you love to your doorstep. To learn more about us go to http://www.engageasyouage.com
Here’s a short video of Pinetop playing in June, 2009 a month before he turned 96!
One Comment
There seems to be a correlation between living longer and doing what you love. Hope I’m as cool at 96.