Pinetop Perkins

Pinetop Perkins at Nuno's on Sixth Street in Austin Texas.

I was lucky enough to catch William "Pinetop" Perkins after a show at Nuno's on Sixth Street, where the legendary Mississippi blues musician patiently allowed me to take a few photos and chat with him for a bit.

A regular on Sonny Boy Williamson's early King Biscuit Flower Hour, Perkins recorded "Pinetop Boogie Woogie" (written by Pinetop Smith) in the late 1950s while touring with Earl Hooker, and is probably most well-known for his professional career with Muddy Waters, after having replaced Otis Span as keyboardist in 1969.

He has backed other such greats as Big Joe Williams, Robert Nighthawk, John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson, and BB King. Perkins went on to form the Legendary Blues Band, recording from the late 1970s to the early 90s.

Pinetop Perkins has released several CDs, and is still touring at 93 years old. He was voted Best Piano Player at the 1998 WC Handy Awards as well as receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and earlier last year performed “Shave and a Haircut” at Clifford Antone's funeral in Austin, Texas.