The Hounds toured with REO Speedwagon and Foghat, but despite a huge local following, they never followed those bands into rock-radio immortality.
Author Archives: Steve Krakow
Marty Grebb played in the Buckinghams during their late-60s peak—and that was just the beginning for him
Marty Grebb’s long career has included sessions with Bonnie Raitt and Leon Russell, a stint in the band Chicago, and soundtrack work for a Steven Seagal movie.
Late-60s suburban band Churchill Moor had the talent to break out, but not the luck
The garage rockers should’ve been canonized alongside the likes of the Buckinghams and the Cryan Shames.
Meade ‘Lux’ Lewis helped kick off the boogie-woogie craze with his lifelong friend Albert Ammons
This powerful, imaginative pianist shot to stardom in the late 30s, but changing fashions dropped him back into obscurity by the 60s.
Not even a gorilla mask could bring blues pianist Johnny ‘Big Moose’ Walker out of the sideman shadows
Big Moose worked for years with Earl Hooker and Elmore James and backed Otis Rush, Howlin’ Wolf, Ike Turner, and many more, but his own recordings never caught fire.
Bluesman Leonard “Baby Doo” Caston played with the legendary Willie Dixon for years
Leonard Caston helped convince Willie Dixon to pursue the blues instead of boxing, but ended up overshadowed by his friend and fading from public view.
Washboard Sam’s playful hokum blues made him a Chicago favorite in the 30s and 40s
Country bluesman Washboard Sam was reputedly Big Bill Broonzy’s half brother, and recorded with Broonzy and Memphis Slim—but the rise of postwar electric blues put an end to his popularity.
Best Soundtrack for Staring Into the Void
A folk chanteuse who soulfully sublimates her noisy past into transcendent performances full of pained howls and delicate melodies
The Secret History of Chicago Music: The Rovin’ Kind
Polished garage band the Rovin’ Kind had a second life on Epic Records as the Illinois Speed Press.
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Captain Walter Dyett
DuSable High School band director Captain Walter Dyett taught generations of future stars.
Best Band With a Lead Singer in a Monster Mask
They’re one of Chicago’s most interesting bands, both visually and sonically, and they put on a live show you won’t soon forget.
Best Freak Folker Who Makes Soap and Writes Books of Erotic Poetry
Even if you haven’t seen her play, you’ve probably noticed her around town, with her long dark tresses, psychedelic tattoos, and gypsy adornments.
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Medusa
Medusa’s psychedelic proto-metal sank like a stone in the 70s, but the Numero Group has rescued their best recordings.
The Secret History of Chicago Music: George Freeman
Though guitarist George Freeman has been overshadowed by saxophonist brother Von, he’s still a soul-jazz genius
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Pete Cosey
Late guitar genius Pete Cosey, most famous for his role in Miles Davis’s electric bands, never recorded under his own name