Bob Stroger | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1930-12-27)December 27, 1930 (age 94) Hayti, Missouri, United States |
| Genres | Blues[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1960s–present |
Bob Stroger (born December 27, 1930)[2][3][4] is an Americanelectric blues bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has worked with many blues musicians, includingEddie King,Otis Rush,Jimmy Rogers,Eddie Taylor,Eddy Clearwater,Sunnyland Slim,Louisiana Red,Buster Benton,Homesick James,Mississippi Heat,Snooky Pryor,Odie Payne,Fred Below,Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, andBilly Davenport.[1]
In 2011 and 2013, Stroger was granted aBlues Music Award as Best Blues Bassist.
Stroger was born on a farm outside ofHayti, Missouri.[5] In 1955, he relocated with his family to Chicago, Illinois.[6] His family settled on the West Side, in an apartment in back of Silvio'snightclub. Stroger was inspired by the sights and sounds from the club. He was further encouraged to try for a career in music, after being employed driving his brother-in-law to play in a blues band withJ. B. Hutto.[6] A self-taught guitarist, he formed a family-based band, the Red Tops (the band members wore black berets with a red circle daubed on top).Willie Kent was drafted to boost their proficiency, and the combo was renamed Joe Russell and the Blues Hustlers (Stroger had adopted the stage name Joe Russell, but the name did not endure).[1] He went on to playjazz with Rufus Forman, but it was his meeting withEddie King which started his lengthy career playing blues. Having started playing the bass guitar, Stroger played on King's single "Love You Baby" (1965).[6]
He backed King for fifteen years before King relocated, after which Stroger stopped playing for a couple of years.[1] His interest was rekindled when he was recommended toOtis Rush, whom he backed in the late 1970s and 1980s.[7] He toured Europe with Rush and played on two of his albums,Live in Europe andLost in the Blues.[6][8]
Stroger next was asession musician for a while. He worked withSunnyland Slim[6] andMississippi Heat in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He then joinedOdie Payne in the regular rhythm section for the series of American Blues Folk Festivals.[1] Encouraged by Sunnyland Slim, Stroger began singing and writing his own material.[7] In 1996, Stroger played onMark Hummel's album,Heart of Chicago.[9] In 1997, he played bass onGolden "Big" Wheeler's albumJump In.[10] The following year, he played with a group of musicians at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland. This led to the recording of his debut solo album,In the House: Live at Lucerne, Vol. 1, on which he was accompanied byKen Saydak andBilly Flynn.[11]
In 2007, Stroger recordedBob Is Back in Town in Chicago, backed bySteve Freund (guitar),Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (harmonica),Deitra Farr (backing vocals), andJuli Wood (baritone saxophone).[7] The same year he backedCarey Bell on his final recorded work,Gettin' Up: Live at Buddy Guy's Legends, Rosa's and Lurrie's Home (Delmark).[12] He also played on Willie "Big Eyes" Smith's albumsBorn in Arkansas (2008) andJoined at the Hip (withPinetop Perkins, 2010).[13]
In 2011, theBlues Foundation presented Stroger with aBlues Music Award in the category Best Blues Bassist.[14] He was nominated in the same category in 2013.[15] He won the Best Bassist Award again in 2013. He was named to theBlues Hall of Fame in 2025.[16]
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | In the House: Live at Lucerne, vol. 1 | Crosscut Records (Germany) |
| 2007 | Bob Is Back in Town | Airway Records |
| 2022 | That's My Name | Delmark Records |
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Blues Meeting in Chicago | Strawberry Records |
