Pervis Jackson, the man behind the deep, rolling bass voice in a string of 1970s R&B hits by the Spinners, died in Detroit on Monday, August 18. He was 70.

His death was confirmed by his wife, Claudreen, who said he had recently learned he had cancer.

A native of the New Orleans area, Mr. Jackson was one of the original five members of the group, which started out in the late 1950s singing Doo-Wop in Detroit. They worked under the Motown label in the 1960s but shot to stardom after moving to Atlantic Records in the 1970s.

With songs like “Mighty Love,” “I’ll Be Around,” “One of a Kind (Love Affair),” and “Then Came You,” the Spinners were a constant on the R&B and Pop charts in the 1970s.

The Spinners compiled 12 gold records, according to thespinnersmusic.com, the group’s website.

Mr. Jackson last performed on July 19 in California with the remaining original members of the group, Bobbie Smith and Henry Fambrough, and two new members, his wife said.

Mr. Jackson was to perform with the group later this month in South Africa and in Wales in September, Ms. Jackson said.

Besides Claudreen, whom he married in 1968, he is survived by four children.

Fresno, California, Blues singer and guitarist Hosea Leavy died on Monday, August 12, of liver cancer. He was 80 years old.

Born in Altheimer, Arkansas, just outside of Little Rock, he learned Blues guitar from his father and played throughout Arkansas before venturing out west during the 1960s. In 1968, Hosea's younger brother, Calvin Leavy, would record the hit record “Cummings Prison Farm” for Soul Beat Records, featuring Hosea's combo as the backing band. This led to a string of subsequent singles for both Calvin and Hosea.

In 1977, Hosea settled permanently in Fresno, where he became a major part of that town's Blues scene. In the 1990s, drummer Chris Millar produced sessions with Hosea that led to his only CDs, You Gotta Move and a collaboration with Harmonica Slim called Cold Tacos and Warm Beer, on the Fedora record label. A few additional cuts appear on the now- out-of-print CD West Fresno Blues Masters, also on Fedora.

A stirring vocalist and down-home guitarist, Hosea had toured Europe and recently made a well-received appearance at the San Francisco Blues Festival.

Above item courtesy of: Bob Corritore

Chicago harmonica ace Little Arthur Duncan passed away Wednesday morning, August 20, at Kindred Hospital in Northlake, Illinois. Duncan had been incapacitated for months with little hope of recovery. He was 74.

Born February 5, 1934, in Indianola, Mississippi, Duncan moved to Chicago at age 16, where he heard and befriended Little Walter, who inspired him to take up the harmonica. While holding down a construction day job, he began performing around Chicago with John Brim, Floyd Jones, and Hip Lankchan. He would later own and operate the Artesia Lounge on Lake Street, which moved to West Madison Street and reopened as Backscratcher's Social Club. Owning a club gave Arthur a regular place to perform, and he became a popular neighborhood attraction on the West Side.

Twist Turner produced some of Duncan’s first recordings, which appeared first on cassette and then on Cannonball Records' Blues Across America series.

As his stature grew in Chicago, Duncan recorded more, cutting two beautiful CDs for Delmark (Singin' With The Sun and Live At Rosa's Blues Lounge) and one for Random Chance (Live In Chicago).

Bluesman Bob Corritore says, “He was a simply great vocalist, with tremendous power and expressiveness; and his sparse harmonica was always on the money. He specialized in third position and chromatic harmonica. His final band included Illinois Slim, Rick Kreher, and Twist Turner. He had a warm and gracious personality and his passing leaves a huge hole in the Chicago Blues scene, as he was one of a handful of the dwindling old school harmonica masters. We will miss you, Arthur.”

Visitation is Friday, August 29, 2008 (after 4pm) at AA Rayner & Sons Funeral Home, 318 East 71st Street, Chicago, IL 60619, Tel. (773)846-6133.

Funeral is Saturday, August 30, 2008 10AM-11am visitation; 11am-12pm service at Second Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, 7922 South Hoyne Ave., Chicago, IL 60620, Tel. (773)874-4510.

Above item courtesy of: Bob Corritore

The Blues Machine, Koko Taylor’s band, was involved in a serious van accident near Black River Falls, Wisconsin, early on the morning of Saturday, August 23. Ms. Taylor was not in the van at the time. The van was the only vehicle involved in the accident. They were on their way to Thief River Falls, Minnesota, for a concert and planned to meet Taylor there.

Traveling were guitarist Calvin Louden, guitarist Shunsuke Kikuta, bassist Ricky Nelson, drummer Brian Parker, keyboardist Stanley Banks, driver Jesse Hutson, and road manager Lee Threatt (husband to Joyce “Cookie” Threat, Koko’s daughter).

Louden, Kikuta, Nelson, Parker, and Banks all suffered broken bones and required surgery. Hutson and Threatt were treated and released from the hospital.

There were no life-threatening injuries and all are expected to make full recoveries.

Cards can be sent to individual band members care of Alligator Records, PO Box 60234, Chicago, Illinois 60660.

On Friday, September 5, the Alabama Blues Project will be hosting its annual event "An Evening of Art and Blues," a great night out with music on two stages as well as art and auction items that also helps to raise funds and awareness about the Alabama Blues Project's education and preservation programs. The evening will be held at the beautiful and historic L&N Station in downtown Tuscaloosa from 6 p.m. until midnight.

The evening will feature music on two stages, with an all-star lineup of Alabama musicians. Headliners Willie King & the Liberators and Microwave Dave will be joined by regional favorites 2BLU, Simple Interest, and Doobie "Doghouse" Wilson, as well as Blues women Debbie Bond and Carroline Shines. Guest artist DeiDra Hurdle will make a special guest appearance along with some of the Alabama Blues Project's Blues Camp kids.

This year's edition of "An Evening of Art & Blues" will showcase its biggest and best auction yet! Autographed guitars by Blues legends B.B. King and Robert Cray will be auctioned live. In addition, the Alabama Blues Project will auction an exclusive keepsake guitar autographed by all the winners of the 2008 Blues Foundation Blues Awards who attended the Memphis award ceremony earlier this year. Signatures on this guitar feature Jimmie Vaughan, Sam Lay, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Bobby Rush, and many others. Phone-in bidders are welcome and should contact the ABP at (205) 752-6263 to make arrangements.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door; students are $10. VIP seating is available at $50 per seat or $450 per table (seating 10). More information, a tour of the auction items, and tickets can be found at alabamablues.org. You can also call 205-752-6263.