Legendary blues pianist 'Sunnyland Slim,' 87, dies

Jet, April 10, 1995

Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew, a legendary blues pianist who helped power the raucous Chicago sound, recently died suddenly at age 87.

Also a singer and composer, the bluesman was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1988 and was lauded as one of America's great at traditional artists.

Born in Vance, MS, Sunnyland Slim began his career playing the piano and organ in church and later went on to record more than 20 albums over seven decades.

He go this first job playing a movie theater in 1924 and later migrated north. He eventually signed with Chess Records in Chicago and fostered the electrified offspring of the Delta Blues in the post-war Midwest

He is survived by a wife and a son.