Pinetop Perkins

Joe Willie Perkins, known as Pinetop Perkins, was the longest-surviving member of the classic Chicago blues era, performing actively until he was 97 years old. He earned his nickname by playing Pinetop Smith's 'Pinetop's Boogie Woogie' in the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta. He worked as a pianist for Sonny Boy Williamson II on the King Biscuit Time radio show and for Robert Nighthawk before replacing Otis Spann in Muddy Waters's band in 1969, a position he held for over a decade. After leaving Waters's band, he launched a late-career solo career that brought him worldwide acclaim and a Grammy Award at age 97, making him the oldest Grammy winner in history.