Magic Slim, famous bluesman was born today (August 7, 1937).
Magic Slim was born Morris Holt in Torrence, Mississippi.
He always had a passion and an interest in music, grew up singing in the church choir, while playing the piano.
However, due to a cotton gin accident, Slim lost the pinky finger on his right hand, which caused him to be unable to play the piano properly.
As a result, Slim developed a love for the guitar and learned to play that instead of the piano.
At the age of 11, Slim moved to Grenada, Mississippi where he met his lifelong friend (and later mentor) in Magic Sam.
Magic Sam would often give Slim encouragement, offering pointers on playing the guitar and even giving him his own nickname “Magic.”
“We used to sit up under the tree Sunday afternoons and play our little acoustic guitars,” Magic Slim said. “Magic Sam told me don’t try to play like him, don’t try to play like nobody. Get a sound of your own.”
In 1967, Slim put a band together called The Teardrops, which included his two younger brothers.
Magic Slim went on to win six music awards, most notably the “W.C. Handy Award” and the coveted “Blues Band of the Year Award”.
Slim, now 75, still plays and performs his music and is highly regarded as one of the world’s last “true bluesmen.”
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