John Primer

Video

Oral History Information

Interview Date
Job Title
Musician, Guitarist

John Primer was born in Camden, Mississippi, where he learned to play the guitar before moving to Chicago to play an important role in the city's blues culture. While recording Magic Slim, John was able to contribute several songs to the album.  The success of his early recordings led to gigs with Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon.  In fact, John played on Muddy's last tour and was on stage for Muddy's last performance before his passing in 1983.  In 1991, John penned "Poor Man Blues," which has been a fixture of his performances ever since.