Jimmy Reed (1925-1976) was a highly influential Mississippi blues musician revered for his widespread influence on rock ‘n’ roll artists like The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

As a young man, Reed studied under Eddie Taylor (who worked with Reed frequently throughout his life as his main accompanist). He busked around his hometown of Dunleith until moving to Chicago in 1943, where he was drafted into service for the U.S. Navy, where he served for two years.

After his discharge, Reed moved to Gary, Indiana, where he found work at a meat-packing plant. In his spare time, Reed became a well-known figure in the Chicago blues scene, working with John Brim’s backing band. Their drummer, Albert King, helped Reed get a contract with Vee-Jay Records and he soon began recording his own material. His third single peaked at #5 on the R&B charts and his fame only grew from there.

However, Reed was a man uniquely ill-equipped to deal with success on this level. He became a serious alcoholic whose erratic behavior made him the subject of a thousand jokes and stories told behind his back by those he worked with (for example, the infamous night in the early 50s when he was booked at the Apollo Theater and pissed on another performer’s dress backstage). His health went to shambles. Reed couldn’t remember any of his songs to the point that someone had to walk him through every one section by section while he recorded. He began suffering epilepsy in 1957 and left it untreated for years because he assumed it was the D.T.’s. Despite all this, Reed managed to be the top-selling blues artist in the country, charting 25 singles over his career.

Unfortunately, Vee-Jay Records was also collapsing, thanks to the Federal Government placing liens on its product after a series of lawsuits citing a repeated refusal to pay royalties. The label filed for bankruptcy in 1966. His manager quickly finagled a deal with ABC/Bluesway and he released a handful of records through 1973. Notably, Reed also performed in the 1968 American Folk Blues Festival in Europe. Through the 60s, Reed was a great source of inspiration to the British Invasion rock scene, with The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Pretty Things and Them all citing him as an influence and covering his songs. Other noted fans include Neil Young, The Steve Miller Band and The Blues Brothers.

After running through his contract with Bluesway, Reed dropped out of the public eye. He finally sought treatment for his epilepsy, quit drinking and seemed to be on his way to a comeback when, eight days before his 51st birthday, he died of respiratory failure. He was quietly interred in Mathis, Illinois.

Four years later, Reed was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Eleven years after that, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.