Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

Talking Blues With Harp Legend Chicago Bob Nelson

Story by David Brewer

It’s likely that most High Country residents have never heard of Bogalusa, La. Situated on the eastern border of Washington Parish, the city is home to thriving lumber and paper industries. The small town is also the birthplace of bluesman “Chicago” Bob Nelson.

On September 1, Nelson will headline the roster of seasoned blues and soul performers at the New River Blues Festival at Ashe County’s Jefferson Landing.

Known for his hard-driving harp and big baritone voice, Nelson has lived all over the country and toured the world as a purveyor of the blues under his own name, as well as with the likes of John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Charlie Musselwhite and Johnny Shines.

“I grew up with a lot of the older guys in my neighborhood who were musicians,” said Nelson, whose father was a bass player. Learning his craft through the sounds of Slim Harpo and Lazy Lester and Honeyboy Edwards, Nelson had an aunt in Chicago, where he would travel in the summers, playing music and spending time at the house of Muddy Waters. “I used to go over to Muddy’s house and play with his kids,” said Nelson.

After moving there years later, Nelson was nicknamed by Waters himself after the king of Chicago blues continued to spot the Louisiana native playing all over the Windy City.

While living in Boston in the early 1970s, Nelson met and played with the aforementioned Hooker, earning an invitation to Oakland, where the writer of such blues classics as “Boom, Boom, Boom” and “Boogie Chillen” lived at the time.

“He said ‘come on out to California and play with me,’” said Nelson.

Without thinking twice, Nelson stuck out his thumb and hitchhiked from coast to coast, spending five years in the company of Hooker in his Coast-to-Coast Blues Band.

“It was a great time with John Lee Hooker,” said Nelson. “That was my biggest learning experience.”

Over the years, Nelson has released a handful of well-received CDs of solid blues material, including his 2006 release Flyin’ Too High. According to Nelson, he met festival organizers The King Bees about 15 years ago at a Charleston blues festival and has thoroughly enjoyed sharing the stage with the experienced blues combo.

“They used to back me all the time on lots of gigs,” said Nelson. “They’re a really good band.”

Above all, Nelson claims that he’s just happy to still be out playing.

“When I’m playing, I really have fun. I take it seriously, but not too seriously,” said Nelson. “I like to have fun and really satisfy my audience. If they’re happy, I’m happy. I like for them to participate in what I’m doing. I like for them to feel like stars. We’re all stars.”