Last year’s remarkable debut release, Rising Son, earned Big Bill Morganfield an avalanche of critical praise, culminating in winning the W.C. Handy Award as Best New Artist. From Billboard to People magazine to National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition,” critics across the land were quick to extol the arrival of this impressive new talent on the blues scene. Having made his mark with his first outing, the son of beloved blues patriarch Muddy Waters further establishes himself as a formidable artist in his own right on his sophomore release. Bill’s distinctive, window-rattling baritone voice and scintillating slide guitar are featured on a variety of original and cover tunes, including songs by Sonny Boy Williamson and Ray Charles. Very special guest Taj Mahal lends his stamp of approval and musical magic to some special recordings.
Born in Chicago in 1956, Morganfield was raised by his grandmother in southern Florida and now resides in the Atlanta area. “Daddy always wished that one of his kids would follow him and play music,” says Bill. “A few years after he died, I bought myself a guitar and started playing a bit. In my mind, I said I want to do a tribute to him. But it was years before I got a chance to do anything. I kind of locked myself away for about six years and taught myself.”
He became stagestruck after performing with Lonnie Mack on Atlanta’s Center Stage before a crowd of a thousand people. “I sang and played and the people went crazy. I was dancing around like a jumping bean. I realized I’ve got a love for this.”
He first formed a band that played contemporary blues but that lasted only three months. He was unhappy with the sound of the music “so I dedicated myself to playing at a higher level.” He retreated to his room to devote his energy to perfecting his guitar playing and sharpening his raw but undeniable talent. In the meantime, he used his bachelor’s degrees in English from Tuskegee University and Communications from Auburn University to make a living as a teacher while he learned to play traditional blues. He spent countless hours methodically studying, ripping apart, and reconstructing songs. Immersing himself in this work, Bill learned the art of songwriting.
