Full-Time Blues Radio

UPDATE: Magic Slim has now passed away. Here is the latest information from his camp.

It is with great sorrow that I inform you that Magic Slim, a.k.a. Morris Holt of Grenada, Mississippi passed away Thursday, February 21, 2013. He will be missed by his family, friends and blues fans all over the world. Funeral arrangements and a Memorial Service will be announced later this week. The family wishes to thank everyone for their kind words and prayers. … Marty Salzman – Manager Magic Slim Linda Cunningham – Public Relations – Magic Slim Mike Blakemore – Tour Manager – Magic Slim

UPDATE: Those close to Magic Slim are now suggesting he has not yet passed away, but has been taken off life support. Here is the official quote from Slim’s camp.

Update on Magic Slim per Marty Salzman – Magic Slim’s Manager

The fact of the matter is that as of this moment, 8:00 am Thursday morning, Magic Slim has NOT passed away yet. He has been disconnected from life support but is not deceased as previously reported. He is not expected to recover and all we can do is pray for him and rejoice in his life. Thank you for caring.

Linda Cunningham
Public Relations – Magic Slim

Earlier:

There’s word out of Nebraska that Magic Slim has passed away. Slim had been in a Philadelphia hospital the past couple weeks. He was 75 years old.

Magic Slim was born Morris Holt in Torrence, Mississippi.  Passionate about music from a very early age, Slim met legendary Bluesman Magic Sam before he was a teenager, and traveled up to Chicago to play in Sam’s band in 1955. He soon returned home, though, in an effort to hone his skills before returning to Chicago and making an impact.

Magic Slim’s first single was released in the late 1960′s, but it wasn’t until almost a decade later that he and his band began a significant recording career. Magic Slim and the Teardrops recorded for multiple labels, but it was their work on Blind Pig records that garnered the most acclaim. Albums like Black Tornado (1998), Blue Magic (2002), and Raising The Bar (2010) are highly rated. His final album , released on Blind Pig in 2012, is Bad Boy.

Personally, I got to interact with Magic Slim a couple years ago at the WC Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival in Henderson, Kentucky. Slim was kind and was catching up backstage with Shemekia Copeland. He and his band were fantastic people and put on an amazing show. I pray for his family, friends, and fans during this time of loss. – John