Pinetop Perkins Dies at 97

Cook-Walden Funeral Home – Austin, Texas

Visitation – Sunday, March 27, 2011 – 3:00pm – 5:00pm Funeral Service – Monday, March 28, 2011 –  5:00pm

Celebration of Life – Monday, March 28, 2011 – 8:00PM Antone’s Blues Club – 213 W 5th St, Austin, TX  78701 Burial services will be on Saturday, April 2, 2011 in Clarksdale, MS.  Details are still being finalized.

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Perkins’ Death comes just five weeks after becoming the oldest Grammy winner ever, an award given for Best Traditional Blues Album for the collaboration between Perkins and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith titled “Joined at the Hip.” “He was one of the last great Mississippi Bluesmen. He had such a distinctive voice, and he sure could play the piano. He will be missed not only by me, but by lovers of music all over the world,” said B.B. King “We knew he lived a good life. What can you say about the man? He left here in his sleep. That’s the way I want to go,” said Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. “Mississippi lost one of the last, great Delta blues legends yesterday,” said Governor Haley Barbour.  “Pinetop Perkins will be remembered for his immense talent and the decades of music he created and performed. I’m proud we were able to honor him with a lifetime achievement award during the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts last month. We were privileged to hear him play the piano and share his musical gift one last time.” Please consider honoring Pinetop’s legacy by making a donation to The Pinetop Perkins Foundation. Donations can be made by check or via PayPal. Information can be found on the Foundation’s website here. The Pinetop Perkins Foundation aims to make Clarksdale, Mississippi a top resource for young pianists with the announcement of its second annual Youth Workshop Series. This year the event will take place from June 15 – 17, 2011 and offer guitar as well as piano workshops. Bob Margolin will direct the guitar workshops and Ann Rabson returns to lead the piano workshops. Pinetop, himself, plans to be in attendance for part of the event. Scholarships will be available to youths 21 and under. Registration and scholarship application forms are available at the Pinetop Perkins Foundation website: PinetopPerkins.com. These workshops are open to the young and the young at heart! For more information contact the Pinetop Perkins Foundation or phone 662-313-1093. Join The Pinetop Perkins Foundation on Facebook]]]]> ]]>

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