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William "Big Bill" Morganfield
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William "Big Bill" Morganfield, born June 19, 1956, Chicago, Illinois, is an American blues singer and guitarist. Morganfield was raised by his grandmother, Verdell Clark, in Southern Florida. He came to music later in life, having first worked as a teacher after earning bachelors degrees in English from Tuskegee University and Communications from Auburn University.
Many men try to fill their father's shoes when they join the family business. Few, however, must prove they are up to the task in front of an audience as large as the one that watched Big Bill Morganfield. Morganfield didn't take up the challenge until several years after his dad passed away in 1983. The blues world mourned the passing of Muddy Waters. Muddy leaves not only a gaping hole on the blues scene but also a grief-stricken son who is contemplating how to handle the loss. Bill buys himself a guitar and retreats into a private world, intending to teach himself how to play and then pay homage to his famous father. Indeed, this was the beginning of Big Bill Morganfield as a Bluesman and the start of his blues journey.
 That tribute was six long years in coming; years that Morganfield spent teaching himself how to play the instrument. He studies the blues styles of the past. Says Bill, "I learned the old traditional blues, songs written in the 1930's to the 1950's." An evening spent playing harp at Center Stage in Atlanta with Lonnie Mack followed. The audience, which numbered 1000, went wild over the performance and set the novice musician's spirit afire.
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DISCOGRAPHY
The years of dedication and hard work paid off handsomely. Morganfield's debut album, RISING SON, was released in 1999 to popular and critical acclaim. The magazine, Guitar Player, expressed their belief that Morganfield's album would have brought a smile to his father's face. The following year, the W.C. Handy Awards dubbed Waters' son the Best New Blues Artist.
Morganfield recorded RISING SON in Chicago, the site of many Waters' recording sessions. Bob Margolin, Waters' guitarist, served as producer and also appeared on the album. Featured were several of Waters' band mates, including: drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, piano player Pinetop Perkins, and harmonica player Paul Oscher. Also in attendance were bassist Robert Stroger, and ex-member of Sunnyland Slim's band.
Bill returned to Chicago in 2001 to make his sophomore recording, RAMBLIN' MIND, produced by Dick Shurman. RAMBLIN' MIND featured an appearance by Taj Mahal. Taj also contributed his original composition, "Strong Man Holler", to the album. In 2003, Big Bill continued his blues journey with, BLUES IN THE BLOOD, produced by Jimmy Vivino and Brian Bisesi. Musically, it's heavily rooted in Delta blues, but in a modern way. Bill exclaims, "It represents where I'm at now in my journey."
BLUES IN THE BLOOD fulfills the promise of greatness displayed in his debut recording. It not only features Bill's distinctive, window-rattling voice and scintillating slide guitar, but also showcases him as a songwriter, with all the songs having been penned by Morganfield except for one. Co-producer Bisesi said, "I was so impressed by how much Bill's song writing skills have improved. It was obvious that he's deep into these songs." The disk held the number one spot on Living Blues Radio Charts for 3 straight months.
Actually, all of Big Bill's albums have reached the number one position on Living Blues Radio Charts.
In 2009, Big Bill Morganfield started his own record company, Black Shuck Records. Black Shuck Records is backed by VizzTone Label Group and serves as the backbone of Black Shuck Records.
Bill's new CD, BORN LOVER, scheduled for release July 7, 2009, will be the first CD released on Black Shuck Records.
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QUOTES
"Big Bill Morganfield's, BORN LOVER, reveals and celebrates his journey and progress as a Blues artist. I find that Bill still honors his father with deep Chicago Blues. He also tells his own stories with original songs, a wide variety of style, and fiery slide guitar. Bill's singing has taken an exciting leap forward in both power and nuance. It's a thrill to hear Bill fulfill."
-- Bob Margolin (Muddy Water's guitar player)
"...Bill Morganfield is a craftsmanly, sometimes brilliant songwriter; he plays and sings with heartfelt commitment"
--Living Blues
"Chicago blues is a powerful force in the right hands, which, in this case, belong to the son of Muddy Waters. The comparisons are inevitable, but the big man is up to the challenge."
--Entertainment Weekly
"Big Bill is a singer/songwriter who surely would have made Muddy smile."
--Guitar Player
"...goes a long way toward earning McKinley Morganfield's son loads of respect."
--Blues Revue
"...it's eerie, as if his father and Howlin' Wolf had never left.”
--Chicago Tribune
"...a vital step toward the blues credibility he seeks...Morganfield shows that his blues have their own depth."
-- Billboard
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W.C. Handy Award
W.C. Handy Award for "Best New Blues Artist," in 2000, the equivalent of a Grammy Award in the blues world.
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BackRoads Booking Agency • PO Box 8070 • San Jose, CA 95155
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