MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2017 By: Senator(s) Jackson (11th), Simmons To: Rules (13th), Barnett, Dawkins, Burton, Blackmon, Butler, Simmons (12th), Norwood, Chassaniol, Jackson (32nd), McDaniel, Stone SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 653 1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE PASSING OF MISSISSIPPI 2 BLUES LEGEND JAMES COTTON OF TUNICA, MISSISSIPPI. 3 WHEREAS, James Cotton, who learned to play the harmonica as a 4 child in the Mississippi Delta and went on to be a major figure in 5 blues music as a sideman to Muddy Waters and as a Grammy 6 Award-Winning Solo Performer, died March 16, 2017. He was 81; and 7 WHEREAS, Mr. Cotton grew up in the fabled Delta blues 8 heartland of Northern Mississippi and learned the harmonica from 9 his mother before he became an orphan at age nine. He began 10 performing professionally soon thereafter and brought a showman's 11 flair to the classic blues tradition, sometimes doing backflips on 12 stage; and 13 WHEREAS, a direct link to earlier generations of blues 14 musicians, Mr. Cotton later appeared alongside dozens of acclaimed 15 performers, from Janis Joplin and B.B. King to Led Zeppelin, Eric 16 Clapton and Keith Richards; and 17 WHEREAS, Mr. Cotton wrote many tunes and sang in a gruff, 18 guttural vocal style, but he was better known for his skill on the S. C. R. No. 653 *SS01/R1341* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 17/SS01/R1341 PAGE 1 (tb\rc) 19 harmonica — or "harp," as blues musicians often call it. Along 20 with his mentor, Sonny Boy Williamson, and other artists such as 21 Sonny Terry, Little Walter and Junior Wells, Mr. Cotton was 22 recognized as one of the foremost masters of the blues harmonica. 23 Many of Mr. Cotton's lasting early contributions came during his 24 first tenure with Waters, in Chicago, where from 1954 to 1966 he 25 played in a band that included Guitarist Jimmy Rogers and Pianist 26 Otis Spann. Often heard in close call and response with Waters's 27 deep, declamatory vocals, Mr. Cotton's squalling harmonica 28 animated dozens of recordings Waters made for the influential 29 Chess label, including classics like "Got My Mojo Working" and 30 "Rock Me"; and 31 WHEREAS, gripping a harmonica and microphone at the same 32 time, Mr. Cotton practiced a technique called circular breathing, 33 in which he inhaled through his nose while continuing to play 34 long, energetic lines on his harmonica. His approach could be 35 mournful, sweet or fleet, and he sometimes played so hard that the 36 small metal-and-wood instrument fell apart in his hands; and 37 WHEREAS, James Henry Cotton was born July 1, 1935, in Tunica, 38 Mississippi. His parents were sharecroppers. He began playing 39 the harmonica at age five, learning to imitate the sounds of 40 chickens and other farm animals from his mother. After both of 41 his parents died, Mr. Cotton was introduced by a relative to Rice 42 Miller, a Blues Musician and Radio Host better known as Sonny Boy 43 Williamson. Mr. Cotton lived in his household for the next six S. C. R. No. 653 *SS01/R1341* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 17/SS01/R1341 PAGE 2 (tb\rc) 44 years. Asked what he learned from Williamson, Mr. Cotton replied, 45 "How to drink and how to play the blues," according to the Chicago 46 Tribune. "Anything he played today, I learned it tomorrow." 47 Despite his relative youth, Mr. Cotton learned a pure style of 48 Delta blues that was fast disappearing. After Williamson moved to 49 Milwaukee, the 15-year-old Mr. Cotton briefly took over his 50 elder's band and radio show. While living near Memphis, Mr. 51 Cotton drove an ice truck and spent two years in the band of 52 another blues giant, Howlin' Wolf. One of Mr. Cotton's early 53 vocal recordings for Sun Records, "Cotton Crop Blues," became a 54 minor rhythm-and-blues hit in 1954. That year, Waters invited Mr. 55 Cotton to move to Chicago and join his band. Mr. Cotton said he 56 suggested that Waters perform "Got My Mojo Working," which became 57 one of his signature tunes; and 58 WHEREAS, as the blues revival reached its peak in the 1970s 59 and 1980s, Mr. Cotton often appeared in concert or on records with 60 younger rock-and-roll stars influenced by his music. Several of 61 his albums from those years, including "100% Cotton" (1974), "High 62 Compression" (1984) and "Live From Chicago: Mr. Superharp 63 Himself" (1986), were ranked among his finest; and 64 WHEREAS, reunited in a studio with Waters, Mr. Cotton 65 appeared on the Grammy-winning album "Hard Again" in 1977. He 66 received three Grammy nominations for his own work before winning 67 in the best traditional blues category for his 1996 album, "Deep S. C. R. No. 653 *SS01/R1341* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 17/SS01/R1341 PAGE 3 (tb\rc) 68 in the Blues," which featured Guitarist Joe Louis Walker and Jazz 69 Bassist Charlie Haden; and 70 WHEREAS, Mr. Cotton moved from Chicago to Memphis in the 71 1990s, after the death of his first wife, Ceola. He was inducted 72 into the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis in 2006 and settled in 73 Austin in 2010. Survivors include his second wife and Manager, 74 Jacklyn Hairston; three children; and numerous grandchildren and 75 great-grandchildren; and 76 WHEREAS, "I'm not sure why my music still speaks so directly 77 to folks," Mr. Cotton told the Los Angeles Times in 1998. "I try 78 to play from deep inside of me and keep the music honest. I 79 prefer it upbeat and up-tempo too, because all the problems people 80 have are gone once we start playing;" and it is with great 81 humility that we recognize the music legacy of a Mississippi music 82 pioneer: 83 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 84 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 85 we do hereby mourn the passing of Mississippi Blues Legend James 86 Cotton of Tunica, Mississippi, and extend to his surviving family 87 and many fans the condolences of the Legislature. 88 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 89 the surviving family of James Cotton and made available to the 90 Capitol Press Corps. S. C. R. No. 653 *SS01/R1341* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 17/SS01/R1341 ST: Mourn the passing of Mississippi Blues PAGE 4 (tb\rc) Legend James Cotton of Tunica, Mississippi. .