John Primer and Friends Tribute to Theresa's Lounge
SPACE, 1245 Chicago Avenue, 60202 Evanston Kort
fös. 04.09.2026 20:00
After completing a tribute to his humble beginnings in Mississippi, the three-time Grammy nominated, Blues Hall of Fame artist, John Primer decides to pay tribute to the greatest blues club in the world, Theresas Lounge, while he and his friends that played down there can still do it. All of these incredible artists got their start down in the basement of Theresas Lounge. They were taught how to be professional blues music- ians by blues masters. Johns dream of becoming a musician came true at Theresas Lounge. It was like home to him and it changed his life forever.Theresa provided a safe place for these musicians. She gave them a place to connect and the freedom to play together. All the greatest blues music- ians played there: Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf, Hubert Sumlin, Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Hound Dog Taylor, Paul Butterfield, Johnny Winter, Eddie Taylor, Luther Tucker, Otis Rush, Magic Slim Musicians came to Theresas from all over the world to learn more about the blues.The songs on John Primer and Friends Tribute to Theresas Lounge have a lot of meaning to me. These songs remind me of Theresas Lounge. You would hear my teachers singing them. Up in Heah, is a song that Junior Wells would sing to kick off his set, I wrote 7 Nights for 7 Years especially for this tribute. Its about how hard I worked and paid my dues at Theresas. I wrote The Blues is King, which tells how important it is to keep the true blues traditions intact and alive. Billy Branch sang Sugar Sweet, a Muddy Waters song. He was a huge influence on all of us, along with Willie Bucks version of Champagne and Reefer and Carlos Johnsons Shes Nineteen Years Old. I wrote We all Need Help, in the memory of Theresa Needham. She was always giving to people in need. She taught me so much about how important it is to give to those that are in need. The song Little by Little is one of my favorite Junior Wells songs. Mary Lane was the only regular woman singer at Theresas. I had to include her song, Marys Song on this album. James Cotton sang John Watkins song, Here I am Knockin at Your Door Again at Theresas so I asked John to sing it for us. I took John Watkins place after he quit Juniors house band. The last song was sung every night by Sammy Lawhorn at Theresas, Mean Old World is a tribute to him. These songs and these musicians mean a lot to me. We all got our start together at Theresas Lounge. We are all in our seventies, eighties and nineties now. I am so happy we were all healthy enough to make this tribute to Theresas Lounge together. I am happy to be able to pay tribute to Theresa. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I do. - John Primer
Flytjendur
-
John PrimerJOHN PRIMER
“THE REAL DEAL”
Early inspiration came from his family steeped in spiritual, gospel, blues and R&B tradition. As a young boy John’s mother knew he would be a singer, “he came out singing” she would say. John first appeared on stage at the local Baptist church, in his hometown of Camden Mississippi. John was raised with blues records being played by his grandmother. He dreamed of one day playing his guitar on stage with his idol Muddy Water's.
At the age of eighteen John followed the path of his mentors and migrated to Chicago in the fall of 1963. Once in Chicago, John quickly found the blues musicians and formed a band. After the success of his first band The Maintainers, in 1974 John replaced John Watkins in the house band at the world famous Theresa’s Lounge on the South Side of Chicago. Over the course of the next 7 years, John would play with such originators as Sammy Lawhorn, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Buddy Guy, and Lonnie Brooks, all innovators sculpting the sound of Chicago Blues.
Then in 1979, master songwriter and bassist Willie Dixon invited him to join his band The Chicago All Stars. Traveling through the US, Mexico and Europe, John developed his skills as a rhythm guitarist, a lead-guitar, slide player, and a powerful singer. Another blues master who believed in John Primer was none other than the “Hoochie Coochie Man” himself, Muddy Waters. Muddy recruited John not only as a guitarist, but also as an opening act and bandleader. John stayed loyal to Muddy until his untimely death in 1983.
Fresh off the heels of his success with the Muddy Waters Band, John signed on with the legendary Magic Slim. For the next 14 years, he toured with Magic Slim & The Teardrops, bringing tight, house rocking sounds to every corner of the planet. While John was the bandleader of Magic Slim & The Teardrops, they were voted the best blues band in the world year after year and are still today thought of as the inventors of “the lump”, a style of playing backup rhythm.
In 1995 the veteran blues man released his major label debut “The Real Deal”, on Atlantic Records. Deciding to make it out on his own, he began touring extensively in support of his fourteen solo albums to date, including two CD’s on Blues House Productions, John’s independent record label. John has recorded on several other record labels including: Wolf, Earwig, Telarc, Atlantic, Delta Groove and Raisin Music. He is a songwriter, producer and has taught many other blues musicians.
John Primer has been awarded many awards. He was given 2 Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2013 for Keeping the Blues Alive from the Pennsylvania Blues Society as well as from the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, he has been nominated for a Grammy Award by the Recording Academy in 2010 for Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year, and has been given many nominations year after year by the National Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Awards for the Best Traditional Blues of the Year as well as Best Traditional Blues Musician of the Year. John is one of the last Legendary Traditional Blues Musicians alive today with his roots in Mississippi. He is a living legend and a true master of the blues!