Hound Dog Taylor

Born on April 12, 1915 in Natchez, Mississippi, the legendary Chicago blues guitarist Theodore Roosevelt Taylor is better known by his stage name Hound Dog Taylor. He was born with a condition called polydactyly, which means that had six fingers on both hands although the sixth finger was not functional and did not move. While drunk one evening, he sliced off the extra digit on his right hand with a straight razor. Initially a pianist, Taylor switched to guitar at the age of 20. In 1942, he moved to Chicago. However, he didn’t become a full-time musician until 1957, but worked outside the Chicago area in small clubs . His playing was influenced by Elmore James and his unique sound was accented by his use of cheap Teisco guitars. In 1970, he was spotted by Bruce Iglauer, who worked for Delmark Records. Iglauer tried to convince his bosses to sign Taylor. When he realized that his bosses were not interested, Iglauer borrowed money and started Alligator Records for the sole purpose of releasing albums by Taylor. In 1971, Alligator Records released Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers. The album was a critical success and helped establish Taylor and the label as major players on the blues scene. Taylor toured with other blues greats such as Muddy Waters, Freddie King, and Big Mama Thornton. He released his second album, Natural Boogie, in 1974. The album was an even bigger success than his debut, and made way for tour dates outside of the U.S. Sadly, at the height of his success, Hound Dog Taylor died of lung cancer on December 17, 1975. Taylor’s third release, Beware of the Dog, was a live album released after his death. Genuine Houserocking Music was released in 1982 followed by two more post-humous releases: Hound Dog Taylor (1999) and Release the Hound (2004).

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