* From a press release…

Statement from Mayor Emanuel on the Loss of Chicago Blues Legend Magic Slim

“We have lost a blues legend, Magic Slim. Like the story of Chicago itself, Magic Slim’s life was defined by persistence and perseverance. Born in Mississippi to sharecroppers, Slim lost his right pinky finger in a cotton gin, forcing him to give up on piano, but never on music, and he taught himself to play guitar on a one-string instrument he made by nailing a piece of wire to the wall. From that one string he developed a sound that would help define the blues forever. A member of the Great Migration, Slim came to Chicago for a new life and a career in music. And what a career he had. Ultimately he would become a legend of Chicago Blues, finding his place among names like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Chicago has lost a dear friend today; but we are grateful for the decades of music we gained from Magic Slim’s life.”

* Check out this hot jam from 1974 at Chicago’s 1125 Club, which was at 59th & May. Yeah, baby…

* And here’s the magic man in a more recent, but still smoking hot performance…