Monday, September 25, 2006 | By: Unknown

Etta Baker, Blues musician passes on.

She was 93, and influenced many a musician like Taj Mahal and Dylan. She started her career late in life according to this fine writeup about her on BET:
"As a professional musician, she was a late bloomer; she didn’t commit to being a blues artist until 1991 at the age of 60, after working 26 years at a textile mill in Morganton, N.C. Born on March 31, 19131 in Caldwell County, N.C., Baker took guitar lessons from her father as a child. Soon she became a superb practitioner of the Piedmont-style blues, which favored rhythmic guitar finger-picking, chattering vocals and opened tuning. In addition to being a well-kept music secret and working at a textile mill, Baker raised nine children."

Hope you can play with some of the greats that went before you Etta, rest in peace.

2 people gave us their .02 cents:

Anonymous said...

She was in Fairfax visiting family when she died. I've heard a few of her songs on the local blues show that plays on Sunday. Two thumbs up...

Unknown said...

Yeah, I read that B. She was a mom and a blues player extraordinare.