In 1966, young Cincinnati native Bruce Iglauer heard Mississippi Fred McDowell. Profoundly impressed, he thus stepped onto a path that would go on to lead thousands of music fans to the heart of the Blues. Today, with a catalog of over 200 titles, Iglauer heads up one of this era's most prestigious Blues labels, Alligator Records.
Putting It All Together
Iglauer's love for the Blues first lead him to D.J. a Blues show at his Lawrence University radio station. He was soon producing Blues shows with talent from the hot Chicago Blues club scene. His work attracted the attention of Delmark Records which hired him as a clerk. This put Iglauer in Chicago at the heart of the local scene and also in the studio, studying the techniques of the engineers and producers. When Delmark refused to record his favorite band, Iglauer put all his experience together to record Hound Dog Taylor, Alligator's first artist.
Apparently the name Alligator comes from the way Iglauer clicks his teeth to the beat.
Iglauer left Delmark to devote all his time to Alligator. With just one release, he hit the road to promote Hound Dog to college radio and independent distributors in the mid-west and northeast. His path with Taylor laid the foundation for a steady stream of groovy artists that would go on to become the heart of today's live Blues scene.
Take It Up A Notch
A defining moment for Iglauer and Alligator was the signing of Koko Taylor to the label in 1975. Taylor had a hit on Chess Records with Willie Dixon's Wang, Dang, Doodle and brought much needed marquee value with her to the new label. It turned out to be a blessing for both parties as Taylor went on to become known as the "Queen" of the Blues through here great Alligator recordings and rocking live shows. She earned the label's first Grammy nomination, followed the next year by a nomination for Hound Dog.
The late seventies saw the debut of what has become an Alligator specialty, the compellation record. Iglauer's Living Chicago Blues series highlighted the local Chicago scene and introduced the world to a new set of artists like Carey Bell, Eddie Shaw, Lonnie Brooks, and Magic Slim. The icing on the cake was the signing of guitar great Albert Collins in 1978. This thrust Alligator well into the national spotlight. The labels first Grammy win was in 1982 with Zydeco's "King", Clifton Chenier's release I'm Here.
Between 1975 and 1978, about half the records released by Alligator were nominated for Grammys!
With the 1984 addition of Rock and Roll guitarist Johnny Winter, Alligator again reaped in new national awareness with the famous rock star's search for his Blues roots. Lonnie Mack and guitar pioneer Roy Buchanan soon joined the roster, cementing Alligator as the largest independent Blues label in the world.
Alligator continues it's path today with many of the most exciting artists pumping out the groove. Here is a partial list of the current crop of talent on Alligator.
- Billy Boy Arnold
- Marcia Ball
- Carey Bell
- Elvin Bishop
- Billy Branch
- Lonnie Brooks
- Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown
- Roy Buchanan
- Henry Butler
- Cephas & Wiggins
- C.J. Chenier
- Clifton Chenier
- W.C. Clark
- William Clarke
- Albert Collins
- Johnny Copeland
- Shemekia Copeland
- James Cotton
- Tinsley Ellis
- Buddy Guy
- Corey Harris
- Dave Hole
- The Holmes Brothers
- Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson
- Lazy Lester
- Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
- Little Charlie & The Nightcats
- Professor Longhair
- Lonnie Mack
- Magic Slim
- Bob Margolin
- Delbert McClinton
- Coco Montoya
- Charlie Musselwhite
- Kenny Neal
- Pinetop Perkins
- Lucky Peterson
- AC Reed
- Fenton Robinson
- Roomful of Blues
- Otis Rush
- Saffire
- Son Seals
- Eddie Shaw
- Siegel-Schwall Band
- Mavis Staples
- Hound Dog Taylor
- Koko Taylor
- Sonny Terry
- Noble "Thin Man" Watts
- Katie Webster
- Junior Wells
- Johnny Winter
Thank you Bruce Iglauer and Alligator Records!
