Mighty Joe Young
b. 23 September 1927, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. Blues guitarist ‘Mighty’ Joe Young grew up in the northern state of Wisconsin but later relocated to Louisiana before settling in Chicago in the '50s. There he briefly joined a group called Joe Little And His Heart Breakers before joining ex-Muddy Waters harmonica player Billy Boy Arnold in his band. He next went to guitarist Jimmy Rogers' blues band in 1959, meanwhile recording several unsuccessful singles on his own. Young played with guitarist Otis Rush from 1960-63, still recording solo with no luck. He built a reputation as a session guitarist in the '60s, recording with artists such as Magic Sam, Willie Dixon and Tyrone Davis. Young recorded several albums in the early '70s and became a popular blues nightclub act in Chicago. Since 1976 he has been absent from the recording scene.