Where It All Began

L.C. Ulmer of Ellisville

Little Milton Wins Four Awards

Little Milton's last CD, "Think of Me," won best album of the year Thurdasy night. He also won three other awards.
(From blues.org.)
Last night at a star-studded and fun fun evening, the 2006 Blues Music Awards were given out in 25 categories. The evening's most honored nominee was the late Little Milton. His widow Pat was on hand to accept the four awards he received as a result of the votes cast by Blues Foundation members. The four awards are: Soul Blues Male Artist; Soul Blues Album for Think of Me; Song of the Year for "Think of Me" and Album of the Year, also for Think of Me. There were two other multiple winners. Legendary guitarist Hubert Sumlin took home two awards for--Best Guitarist and for Traditional Blues Album for About Them Shoes. First-time winner Paul Oscher was selected as the Acoustic Artist of the Year and his Down in the Delta was chosen as the Acoustic Album of the Year.
Other first time honorees included: Eddie Shaw, Al Kooper, Mookie Brill, Janiva Magness, Tab Benoit and Zac Harmon. The B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award went to Buddy Guy and the Band of the Year is Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers.
Acoustic Album of the Year - Down In The Delta - Paul Oscher
Acoustic Artist of the Year - Paul Oscher
Album of the Year Think of Me - Little Milton
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year - Buddy Guy
Band of the Year - Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers
Best New Artist Debut Zac Harmon - The Blues According to Zacariah
Comeback Album of the Year Black Coffee - Al Kooper
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year Fever For The Bayou - Tab Benoit
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year - Janiva Magness
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year - Kim Wilson
Historical Album of the Year - Hoochie Coochie Man: Complete Chess Recordings, Volume 2, 1952-1958 - Muddy Waters, (Chess/Hip-O Select)
Instrumentalist-Bass - Mookie Brill
Instrumentalist-Drums - Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
Instrumentalist-Guitar Hubert Sumlin
Instrumentalist-Harmonica - Charlie Musselwhite
Instrumentalist-Horn - Eddie Shaw
Instrumentalist-Other - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Fiddle
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year - Marcia Ball
Song of the Year - "Think Of Me", written by Jon Tiven, Milton Campbell, Pete Shoulder, performed by Little Milton, Think Of Me Soul Blues Album of the Year - Think of Me - Little Milton
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year - Mavis Staples
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year - Little Milton
Traditional Album of the Year - About Them Shoes - Hubert Sumlin
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year - Etta James
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year - B.B. King

Rene Olstead. I don't know anything about her music, but she's gorgeous. UPDATE--Oops. I just found out she was 15 when this photo was taken, and that she just turned 16 last week.

The front of Son Thomas' gravestone.

The back of Son Thomas' gravestone in Leland.

John Hammond Earlier This Year:

"I’m going to Holland and France for some solo shows and some shows with Duke Robillard. After that I’ll be back in the States, opening up some shows for The Allman Brothers. I knew Duane before he formed the band; he was a fantastic player, the best for that single note electric standard tuning style. He’d sit me down and be like "show me that again" (laughs). Then he formed the band and they actually opened some shows for me in their early days."

He's back from Europe; don't know about tour dates with Allmans, though.

Duane was a sideman in Muscle Shoals, and played on two tracks of Hammond's 1969 album "Southern Fried." Seeing him open for the ABB would be fantastic.