Rory Block
Rory Block at the MerleFest 2014
Background information
Birth name	Aurora Block
Born	(1949-11-06)November 6, 1949 (age 75) Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Country blues
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer
Instrument	Guitar
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Chrysalis Rounder Telarc Rykodisc Stony Plain
Website	Roryblock.com

Aurora "Rory"Block (born November 6, 1949)^[1] is an Americanblues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of thecountry blues style.^[2]

Aurora Block was born in Princeton and grew up inManhattan. Her father, Allan Block,^[3] ran a sandal shop inGreenwich Village in the 1960s, and the Greenwich Villagefolk music scene, such asPeter Rowan,Maria Muldaur, andJohn Sebastian influenced Block to studyclassical guitar.^[4] At the age of 14, she met guitaristStefan Grossman, who introduced her to the music ofMississippi Delta blues guitarists.^[5]

Block began listening to old albums, transcribing them, and learning to play the songs. At age 15, she left home to seek out the remaining blues giants, such asMississippi John Hurt,Reverend Gary Davis, andSon House,^[2] and hone her craft in the traditional manner of blues musicians;^[4] then she traveled toBerkeley,California, where she played inclubs andcoffeehouses.

After retiring temporarily to raise a family, Block returned to the music industry in the 1970s with middling success until signing withRounder Records in 1981, who encouraged her to return to her love for the classical blues form.^[2] Since then she has carved out her own niche, releasing numerous critically acclaimed albums of original and traditional songs, including manyRobert Johnson covers, such as "Terraplane Blues" and "Come on in My Kitchen". Her 1986 album,I've Got a Rock in My Sock, included contributions fromTaj Mahal andDavid Bromberg.^[2] The same year, Block's 19 year old son, Thiele, died in an automobile accident. Her tribute to him,House of Hearts, contained mostly Block penned tracks.^[2]

Angel of Mercy,Turning Point, andTornado included mostly original compositions. However,Mama's Blues,Ain't I a Woman andWhen a Woman Gets the Blues featured songs written byTommy Johnson,Robert Johnson,Lottie Beaman, andMattie Delaney.^[6]

In 2010, Block released her autobiography in .pdf format and a limited print run titledWhen A Woman Gets The Blues.

Rory Block has won sevenBlues Music Awards, two for "Traditional Blues Female Artist" (1997, 1998), three for "Acoustic Blues Album of the Year" (1996, 1999, 2007), the 2019 "Acoustic Artist of the Year" and the prestigious Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Female Blues Artist in 2021.^[7][8] She also won 3NAIRD awards for "Best Adult Contemporary Album of the Year" in 1992 forAin't I A Woman, in 1994 forAngel of Mercy, and again in 1997 forTornado. Rory also won the "Trophees France Blues 98" for "International Acoustic Guitarist of the Year". She was inducted in to The New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.^[9]

• Pinkpop Festival, Netherlands - 1989
• Belgium Rhythm 'n' Blues Festival - 1989
• Long Beach Blues Festival - 1993
• San Francisco Blues Festival - 1999
• Notodden Blues Festival - 2006
• Kemptville Live Music Festival - 2017
• New Orleans Jazz Festival - 2022

• Block, RoryWhen A Woman Gets The Blues (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 14 April 2011,ISBN 1456520296)

• Telarc (record label) biography
• Illustrated 1964–1987 Rory Block discography (early recordings not shown on official website)
• Illustrated Allan Block discography (Aurora's father)
• Representative's artist page
• Stony Plain Records artist page

• 1949 births
• Living people
• American blues singers
• American blues guitarists
• American slide guitarists
• Country blues musicians
• Songwriters from New Jersey
• Musicians from Princeton, New Jersey
• Singers from New Jersey
• Contemporary blues musicians
• Chrysalis Records artists
• Guitarists from New Jersey
• 20th-century American guitarists
• Stony Plain Records artists
• Rounder Records artists
• Telarc Records artists
• 20th-century American women guitarists
• 21st-century American women

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