James Cotton

James Henry Cotton (July 1, 1935 – March 16, 2017) was an American blues harmonica player, singer/songwriter, who performed and recorded with many fellow blues artists, including Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters and with his own band, the James Cotton Blues Band.

Cotton began his professional career being mentored by Sonny Boy Williamson II and playing the blues harp in Howlin' Wolf's band in the early 1950s. He spent 12 years touring with Muddy Waters and appeared on At Newport 60, which is considered by Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Album's of All Times.

He made his first recordings in Memphis for Sun Records, under the direction of Sam Phillips. In 1955, he was recruited by Muddy Waters to come to Chicago and join his band. Cotton became Muddy's bandleader and stayed with the group until 1965. In 1965, he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet, with Otis Spann on piano, to record between gigs with the Muddy Waters band. He eventually left to form his own full-time touring group. His first full album, on Verve Records, was produced by the guitarist Mike Bloomfield and the singer and songwriter Nick Gravenites, who later were members of the band Electric Flag.

In the 1970s, Cotton played harmonica on Muddy Waters' Grammy Award–winning 1977 album Hard Again, produced by Johnny Winter.