"Perhaps the most influential blues artist of the 20th century and a leading factor in exposure of blues music to white audiences, the great Jimmy Reed created masterpieces through the decades like ""Bright Lights Big City"" and ""Ain't That Lovin' You Baby"" that persuaded audiences to worship the jammin' musician with a guitar in hand and harmonica in tow.Reed grew up in Dunleith, Mississippi, where the deep Southerner learned harmonica and guitar from friend and semi-pro musician Eddie Taylor. After serving two years in the Navy when drafted in the ‘40s, Reed married his wife Mary (known in his songs as ""Mama Reed"") and moved to the ghetto of Gary, Indiana, where he worked at a meatpacking plant. Discovering the flickering blues scene around him, Reed worked his musical talent on the streets before landing a gig at Vee-Jay Records, after which he received burgeoning fame for singles like ""You Don't Have to Go"" and ""Boogie in the Dark."" Breaking into the Top Ten on the charts, Reed's status as a blues musician only grew from there, propelling him into the big leagues with Top Five singles like ""Ain't That Lovin' You Baby,"" ""Honest I Do"" and ""Bright Lights Big City.""Despite his superstar status and incredible blues music, the barely literate Reed spent just as much time on his career as an alcoholic as he did working on his music. Reed was known for his belligerence while performing shows and in the studio, yet none of his problems were evident to the millions of fans he had acquired during his tenure as a blues revivalist. Still, Reed's extracurricular habits caught up with him, and although he ultimately quit drinking the damage was already done; Reed passed away while trying to make a comeback on the blues festival circuit when he was 51 years old."
