Lonnie shields biography books

American singer-songwriter

Musical artist

Lonnie Shields (born April 17, 1956)^[1] is an American electric blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

His primary influence was B.B. King.^[2] He has released seven albums to date, and one publication described his music as "bewitching, funk-influenced variations on the oldest country blues".^[3]

Life and career

Lonnie Thomas Shields Jr. was born in West Helena, Arkansas, United States,^[4] with his local church being a focus for family life.^[2] Due to its similar musical heritage, West Helena is often considered an extension of the Mississippi Delta.^[5] He started his music career by playing funk and soul as a teenager in a local group called the Checkmates.

This was before his friend and mentor, Sam Carr, based in Lula, Mississippi, showed Shields the rudiments of Delta blues.^[2] The twosome played together in the Unforgettable Blues Band, and