Blues pianist Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew died on March 17, 1995 in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 87.
Blues pianist Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew died on March 17, 1995 in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 87. He was coming home from a winter show, he slipped and fell on some ice which led to medical complications. His death was listed as due to kidney failure. 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 characterized 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. Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew is buried at Mount Vernon Memorial Estates in Lemont, Illinois.