The Baton Rouge Blues Foundation Slim Harpo Awards
Each year the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation honors three distinguished blues artists or enthusiasts for their support of blues culture in Louisiana. These honorees by their performances, activities and example have helped to promote an ongoing appreciation for our Louisiana blues legacy.
The Foundation recognizes three categories of honorees: Legend, Pioneer and Ambassador.
The Legend Award goes to an artist who has become respected over the years for being a creator and performer, and has had a significant influence on blues musicians and artists.
The Ambassador Award goes to a goodwill blues representative who passionately promotes the art form, finding new audiences.
The Pioneer Award goes to one who pushes the genre in new directions musically, attracting new fans for the blues.
Slim Harpo
Louisiana native Slim Harpo was born in 1924 and popularized post-war rural blues. known as swamp blues. He first began performing in Baton Rouge under the name Harmonica Slim.
Harpo began his recording career in 1957 and was given a new stage name, Slim Harpo, by Excello Records producer Jay Miller. While recording for Excello, Harpo enjoyed a string of popular R&B singles, including Rainin' in my Heart, I Love the Life I Live, Buzzin' and Little Queen Bee.
The singer was known as one of the masters of the blues harmonica and his stage name, Slim Harpo, was a humorous takeoff on "slim harp," the popular nickname for the harmonica in blues circles. Slim Harpo died in 1970 at the age of 46.
