John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band

Saturday 19 April

Born into a family of sharecroppers in Mississippi, American blues guitarist and singer John Primer grew up hearing the plantation workers sing the blues on the fields and in church on Sundays, and play guitar at night. At age 18, he moved to Chicago and started playing for tips on street corners and later in clubs. He played on stage with Junior Wells and joined Willie Dixon’s All-Star Band in the late 1970s before moving on to Muddy Waters in the 1980s and ultimately playing with Magic Slim and the Teardrops. Primer started his solo career the following decade and made his mark with his 1995 album The Real Deal. Now 80 years old, he is still keeping blues traditions alive by playing, teaching and inspiring a whole new generation. In 2023, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.