John Brim
b. 10 April 1922, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, USA. Born on a farm, Brim played blues guitar from an early age. In the mid-'40s, he relocated to Chicago, where he joined the burgeoning post-war blues scene, playing with artists such as John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson, Muddy Waters and later Jimmy Reed. The tough sound of his music placed him firmly in the Chicago style of the day, his vocals were raw and convincing and his guitar-playing rough yet effective. His records, some of which featured his wife Grace Brim singing and playing drums, appeared on a variety of labels, but the best were probably the later '50s tracks, such as Rattlesnake (which was based on Big Mama Thornton's Hound Dog and featured the superb harmonica work of Little Walter), Lifetime Blues and the topical Tough Times. Brim has continued to play, issuing an interesting if rather rough single in the '70s, and a fine half-album of tough Chicago blues in the late '80s.