Luther Allison (August 17, 1939 – August 12, 1997) was an American blues guitarist. He was born in Widener, Arkansas and moved with his family, at age twelve, to Chicago, Illinois in 1951. He had taught himself guitar while in Arkansas and began listening to blues extensively. Three years later he began hanging outside blues clubs with the hopes of being invited to perform. He played with Howlin' Wolf's band and backed up James Cotton.

Career
His big break came in 1957 when Muddy Waters invited Allison to the stage. He worked the club circuit throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s and recorded his first single in 1965. Allison was signed to the Delmark Records label in fall 1967 and the following year his debut album Love Me Mama was released. He performed a stellar, show stopping, set at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival and was invited to the next three consecutive festivals. He also toured nation-wide and, in 1972, was signed to Motown Records, one of the few blues artists to do so. By the mid 1970s he began touring Europe, enjoyed the warm reception by the crowds and moved to France in 1977. He wouldn't return to the United States for another fifteen years. Allison was known for his lengthy concert performances, strong showmanship, ten minute long guitar solos and crowd walking with an extra long cord attached to his Gibson Les Paul.

Luther Allison's manager and European agent Thomas Ruf founded the label Ruf Records in 1994. Since signing with Ruf Records, Allison launched a major comeback in association with Alligator Records. Alligator Records founder, Bruce Iglauer, convinced Allison to return to the States. The album Soul Fixin' Man was recorded and released in 1994. Luther toured the US and Canada thoroughly and his fan base grew to his mind-blowing performances. Both Allison and Soul Fixin' Man won four WC Handy Awards in 1994. With the James Solberg Band backing him, non-stop touring and the release of Blue Streak (featuring song "Cherry Red Wine"), Allison continued to earn more Handy's and gain wider recognition. Allison scored a host of Living Blues Awards and was featured on the cover pages of major Blues publications. In the middle of his summer of '97 tour, Allison checked into a hospital for chest pains and breathing problems. Unfortunately, it was discovered that he had a tumor on his lung that was about to metastasize to his spine. In and out of a coma, Luther Allison died on August 12, 1997, five days before his 58th birthday. His album Reckless had just been released.

[edit] Legacy

His son Bernard Allison (born 1965) is an exceptional blues guitarist in his own right.