Blues pianist Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew was born on September 5, 1907 in the Mississippi Delta on a farm near Vance, Mississippi.
Blues pianist Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew was born on September 5, 1907 in the Mississippi Delta on a farm near Vance, Mississippi. The son of a preacher and the grandson of a slave, Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew first learned to play the pump-organ in his father's church. He was soon playing a Mississippi-Delta Blues type of piano style in local 'juke joints' and movie houses. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1925 and to Chicago in 1942 where he played with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Lockwood, Jr., and Little Walter. His piano style was characterised by heavy basses or vamping chords in the left hand and tremolos with his right. His voice was loud and he sang in a declamatory style. He began recording in 1946 (his first solo date was in 1947) and continued performing until his death aged 87. He released one record on RCA Victor using the moniker Dr. Clayton's Buddy: "Illinois Central" b/w "Sweet Lucy Blues". In 1988 he was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship. His influence as one of the most influential blues pianists is still felt today, as the Chicago Blues Festival often holds tributes to Sunnyland Slim.