[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   A TRIBUTE TO CHICAGO BLUES LEGEND CORA ``KOKO'' TAYLOR (1928-2009)

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                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 10, 2009

  Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, American music legend, KoKo Taylor, the 
``Queen of the Blues,'' died June 3, 2009 in Chicago. Her masterful 
voice represented the spirit of Chicago--proud, loud and full of life.
  Born September 28, 1928, in Bartlett, Tennessee, on a small farm to a 
family of sharecroppers, Cora Walton would one day be known throughout 
the world as ``KoKo Taylor.'' She earned her nickname because of a love 
of chocolate. Orphaned by age 11, along with her five brothers and 
sisters, Koko developed a love for music from a mixture of gospel she 
heard in church and blues she heard on radio stations. With one brother 
accompanying her on a guitar strung with baling wire and another 
brother on a fife, made out of a corncob, Koko began her career as a 
blues woman.
  In her early 20s, Koko and her soon-to-be husband, the late Robert 
``Pops'' Taylor, moved to Chicago looking for work. With nothing but, 
in Koko's words, ``35 cents and a box of Ritz crackers,'' the couple 
settled on the city's South Side, the cradle of the rough-edged sound 
of Chicago blues. Taylor found work cleaning houses for wealthy 
families in the ritzy northern suburbs. At night and on weekends, Koko 
and Pops would visit the South and West Side blues clubs, where they 
would hear singers like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Magic Sam, Little 
Walter and Junior Wells. And, thanks to prodding from Pops, it wasn't 
long before Taylor was sitting in with many of the legendary blues 
artists on a regular basis.
  Ms. Taylor's big break came in 1963 when, after one of her signature 
fiery performances, songwriter/arranger Willie Dixon approached her. 
Much to Koko's astonishment, he told her, ``My God, I never heard a 
woman sing the blues like you sing the blues.'' Dixon first recorded 
Koko for USA Records and, then, secured a Chess Records recording 
contract for her. He produced several singles and two albums for her--
including her huge 1966 hit single Wang Dang Doodle--firmly 
establishing Koko as the world's number one female blues talent.
  Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, Ms. Taylor received 
numerous awards for her music. She signed with Alligator Records in 
1975 and recorded nine albums for the label, eight of which were 
Grammy-nominated, and came to dominate the female blues singer ranks, 
winning 25 W.C. Handy Awards, more than any other artist. In 1984, she 
received a Grammy for the live, multi-artist album Blues Explosion on 
Atlantic Records. In 2004, KoKo was presented with the coveted National 
Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for The Arts. She 
also earned 25 Blues Music Awards, more than any other blues artist, 
male or female. On March 3, 1993, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley 
honored the songstress with a Legend of The Year Award, and declared 
``Koko Taylor Day'' throughout Chicago.
  In 1998, Chicago Magazine named Koko ``Chicagoan of the Year'' and, 
in 1999, she was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame. 
``There are many kings of the blues,'' said The Boston Globe at the 
time, ``but only one queen. Koko's voice is still capable of pinning a 
listener to the back wall.''
  There is no doubt she was the queen of the blues and Koko Taylor's 
legacy will live on through her music. She has influenced a number of 
musicians including Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland and Janis Joplin. 
Her voice lives on in her recordings. We all are forever indebted to 
her for her contributions to America's rich music history.

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