EDDY CLEARWATER

aka EDWARD HARRINGTON

Instruments: Guitar, Vocals
Date of Birth: January 10, 1935
Place of Birth: Macon, Mississippi
Home: Birmingham, Alabama

Eddy Clearwater is best-known as an interpreter of rock & rock-flavored blues, often paying tribute in his music to his biggest influence, Chuck Berry. A self-taught left-handed guitar player, Clearwater was born in Macon, Mississippi. He moved to Birmingham, Alabama, when he was thirteen years old. Clearwater sang and played guitar in the church, but it was his exposure to both country & western music and the blues that had the biggest impact on his eventual style.

Clearwater moved to Chicago in the early 1950s, called himself Guitar Eddy, and worked into the blues club scene there. By the time be began recording for the Atomic-H label in the late '50s, he had changed his name to "Clear Waters" (as opposed to Muddy Waters), later modified to Clearwater, and developed a guitar style that included both Chuck Berry and West Side (Otis Rush, Magic Sam) blues licks. Clearwater later began wearing an Indian headdress when he performed, thus acquiring a new nickname: "the Chief."

In addition to recording for Atomic-H, Clearwater cut singles for a variety of other labels in the early 1960s, including Federal and LaSalle. Throughout the '60s and '70s, he played as much rock & roll and rhythm & blues as he did blues, and more often than not his audience was white.

In 1980 Clearwater signed a recording contract with Rooster Blues and released his first U.S. album, The Chief. He recorded another studio album, Flimdoozie (1986), and a like effort, Real Good Time - LIve! (1990), for Rooster Blues as well as one album, Red Lightnin', for the British label before signing with Blind Pig Records and releasing Help Yourself in 1992. Clearwater continues to perform regularly in blues clubs and at blues festivals, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Essential Listening:

• 2 x 9 / Charly (1025)
• The Chief / Rooster Blues (2615)
• Flimdoozie / Rooster Blues (2622)
• Help Yourself / Blind Pig (BP 74792)
• Blues Hang Out / Evidence (ECD 26008-2)