Blues | Clinton, Mississippi
Eddie Cotton was born the son of a preacher in Jackson, Mississippi. He began playing guitar at the age of four. He attended Jackson State University, where he majored in music before he began playing professionally at local clubs. In 1995, he pursued his musical ambitions, which led to the creation of his band, The Mississippi Cotton Club. Cotton’s impassioned, soulful vocals and biting guitar combined with his powerful stage presence left no doubt when we won the 2015 International Blues Challenge (IBC).
As a Pastor’s son and virtuoso, from age four, he grew up listening to the Delta Masters and has spent several years as the Minister of Music at his father’s church. This seemingly unlikely combination of musical interests is precisely what engages Cotton’s audiences, who appreciate his combination of classic electric blues with funky rhythms, soulful vocals and some downright blistering guitar playing. Today, his recordings obliterate the lines that many typically use to peg artists into “one” specific musical style. Cotton maintains it all – soul, gospel, dance, funk, rock, and country – but comes back to the blues. He displays his musicianship with an unrelenting charismatic energy that cannot be duplicated, only felt.
He is equally comfortable wading in the slow, down and dirty blues or swimming top-speed through faster jams. His virtuosity is unique, and his live performances are becoming renowned.
Heralded by some reviewers as the most exciting blues musician to appear in decades, Cotton’s reverence for his craft is apparent.
Cotton has been nominated for numerous awards. He has shared the stage with many great musicians. Whether he is punctuating old favorites with his own inflection or crooning a Cotton original with stunning energy, audiences are sure to take notice of this Blues Artist who demonstrates deep respect and appreciation for his craft. He has a dream that Americans of all ages will discover and embrace the sheer emotional power of the Blues.