“The Gentleman of the Blues,” Johnnie Bassett, passed away at the age of 76, August 4, 2012. A staple of the Detroit Blues scene for years now, Bassett had been in declining health in recent years, but had also kept working throughout it all – releasing I Can Make That Happen in 2012.
Born in Florida, Johnnie Bassett’s family moved to Detroit in the 1940′s. It didn’t take long after that for Bassett to begin playing Blues and getting involved in the local scene. Heralded as a standout session musician, Johnnie worked alongside John Lee Hooker, Little Willie John, and many, many more. He was influenced by men like T-Bone Walker and BB King, and jammed with a young Jimi Hendrix during a brief period in Seattle.
In recent years, however, Johnnie Bassett had been fronting his own band of musicians, and was back in the studio, recording albums like I Can Make That Happen, and 2009′s The Gentleman Is Back.
He was recently diagnosed with cancer and had moved into hospice care. He leaves behind a wife, Deborah and four children. Everyone associated with Full-Time Blues offers our most heartfelt prayers and deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Johnnie Bassett.
