Eric Charles Bibb (born August 16, 1951) is a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

-nominated American-born blues singer and songwriter.

Early life and education

Bibb was born in New York on August 16, 1951. His father,

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

, was a musical theatre singer, who made a name for himself as part of the 1960s New York

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

scene; his uncle was the

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

and composer

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights activist and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

, of the

Modern Jazz Quartet The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was a jazz combo established in 1952 that played music influenced by classical music, classical, cool jazz, blues and bebop. The Quartet consisted of John Lewis (pianist), John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibraphon ...

. Family friends included

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...

, and actor/singer/activist

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...

, Bibb's godfather. He was given his first

steel-string acoustic guitar The steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar that descends from the gut-strung Romantic guitar, but is strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. Like the modern classical guitar, it is often referred to simply ...

at age seven. Growing up surrounded by talent, he recalls a childhood conversation with

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

, who, on the subject of guitar playing, advised the 11-year-old Bibb to "Keep it simple, forget all that fancy stuff" (as recounted in "The Transatlantic Sessions 5" program and DVD from the BBC). Bibb remembers from his early teen years:

I would cut school and claim I was sick. When everyone would leave the house I would whip out all the records and do my own personal DJ thing all day long, playing
Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and s ...
,
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
, the New Lost City Ramblers,
Josh White Joshua Daniel White (February 11, 1914 – September 5, 1969) was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names Pinewood Tom and Tippy Barton in the 1930s. White grew up in the Sou ...
.

When Bibb was 16 years old, his father invited him to play guitar in the house band for his TV talent show ''Someone New''. Bill Lee, who played bass in this band, later appeared on Bibb's albums ''Me To You'' and ''Friends''. In 1969, Bibb played guitar for the Negro Ensemble Company at St. Mark's Place in New York. He went on to study psychology and Russian at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, but did not finish these studies. The next year, aged 19, he left for Paris, where he met guitarist

Mickey Baker MacHouston "Mickey" Baker (October 15, 1925 – November 27, 2012) was an American musician, best known for his work as a studio musician and as part of the recording duo Mickey & Sylvia. Early life Baker was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His ...

who focused his interest on

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

guitar.

Career

Bibb moved to

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, where he immersed himself in pre-war blues and the newly discovered

world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...

scene, while he continued to write and perform. ''Good Stuff'' was released in 1997 on Opus 3 and the American label Earthbeat. Bibb signed to the British-based Code Blue label, but only released one album, ''Me to You'', featuring appearances from some of his personal heroes, Pops and

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel music, gospel singer and civil rights activism, activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving memb ...

, and

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

. This was followed by tours of the UK, US, Canada, France, Sweden and Germany. In the late 1990s Bibb joined forces with his then manager Alan Robinson to form Manhaton Records in Britain. The albums ''Home to Me'' (1999), ''Roadworks'' (2000) and '' Painting Signs'' (2001) followed, as did the 2005 releases for Opus 3, ''Just Like Love'' and ''Spirit & the Blues'' (Hybrid SACD of 1999 Earthbeat release). After that, he made ''A Family Affair'' (2002) with his father, Leon Bibb. This was followed by ''Natural Light'', then ''Friends'', which contained 15 tracks featuring Bibb duetting with friends and musicians he had met on his travels such as Taj Mahal,

Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and s ...

Charlie Musselwhite Charles Douglas Musselwhite (born January 31, 1944) is an American blues harmonica player and bandleader who came to prominence, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Elvin Bishop, as a pivotal figure in helping to revive the Chicago ...

, Guy Davis, Mamadou Diabate and Djelimady Toukara. In 2004, Eric Bibb released ''Friends'' as his debut release under

Telarc International Corporation Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the label has had a long assoc ...

. Bibb remained with Telarc Records from 2004 until 2011, releasing several additional albums including, ''A Ship Called Love'' in 2005, ''Diamond Days'' in 2007, and ''Spirit I Am'' in 2008. He released ''Booker's Guitar'' in January 2010 with music channeled from the Delta blues guitarist,

Bukka White Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White (November 12, 1906 – February 26, 1977) was an American Delta blues guitarist and singer. His first full-length biography'', The Life and Music of Booker "Bukka" White: Recalling the Blues'' (2024), has been ...

. In November 2011, Bibb signed to Stony Plain Records. In 2018, Bibb opened for

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

on his UK tour. In March 2021, it was announced that Bibb had signed to

Provogue Records Provogue Records is a European record label and part of the Mascot Label Group. Founded by Jan Van Der Linden in the early 1990s, the label specializes in rock and blues. Its catalog includes Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart, Eric Johnson, ...

. The lead single "Whole World's Got The Blues" featuring

Eric Gales Eric Gales (born October 29, 1974), also known as Raw Dawg, is an American blues rock guitarist, originally hailed as a child prodigy. Gales has recorded 19 albums for major record labels and has done session and tribute work. He has also co ...

from his upcoming album was released on March 19, 2021, with the album ''Dear America'' expected on September 10, 2021. Two more singles followed: "Born Of A Woman" with singer Shaneeka Simon on June 10, and "Emmett's Ghost" featuring

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

inspired by the lynching of

Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941 – August 28, 1955) was an African American youth, who was 14 years old when he was abducted and Lynching in the United States, lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman, ...

on July 23, to coincide with what would have been Till's 80th birthday on July 25. Eric Bibb Rasbo kyrka

His 2023 album ''Ridin made the Top 10 of several blues and roots charts, and boosted his all-round popularity. Bibb is scheduled to tour Australia and New Zealand in May and June 2024.

Awards

Bibb received Grammy nominations for ''Shakin' a Tailfeather'' in 1997 and ''Migration Blues'' in 2017. He has been nominated for several

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...

s (formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards). He won the award for Acoustic Artist of the Year in 2012 and 2013. In 2017 he won the award for Acoustic Album of the Year for ''The Happiest Man in the World''. His 2023 album ''Ridin was nominated for a Grammy nomination in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.

Personal life

Bibb is married to Ulrika Bibb. Bibb was formerly married to Sari Matinlassi. He lived in

Kirkkonummi Kirkkonummi (; , , Sweden ) is a municipality in Finland, located in the southern coast of the country. Kirkkonummi is situated in the western part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Kirkkonummi is approximately . It is the most populous Mu ...

, Finland, for four years before moving back to Stockholm, Sweden.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Ain't It Grand'' (MNW, 1972) * ''Rainbow People'' (Opus 3, 1977) * ''Golden Apples of the Sun'' (Opus 3, 1983) * ''Me to You'' (Code Blue, 1997) * ''Home to Me'' (Ruf, 1999) * ''Roadworks'' (Ruf, 2000) * ''Just Like Love'' (Opus 3, 2000) * '' Painting Signs'' (Manhaton/EarthBeat!, 2001) * ''Natural Light'' (Manhaton, 2003) * ''A Ship Called Love'' (Telarc, 2005) * ''Diamond Days'' (Telarc, 2006) * ''12 Gates to the City'' (Luna, 2006) * ''Get On Board'' (2008) * ''Spirit I Am'' (2008) * ''Booker's Guitar'' (Telarc, 2010) * ''Blues Ballads & Work Songs'' (Opus 3, 2011) * ''Deeper in the Well'' (Stony Plain, 2012) * ''Jericho Road'' (Stony Plain, 2013) * ''The Haven'' (Luna, 2011) * ''Blues People'' (Stony Plain, 2014) * ''Migration Blues'' (2017; nominated for a

as Best Traditional Blues Album) * ''Global Griot'' (double album, 2018) * ''Dear America'' (Provogue, 2021) * ''Ridin (Repute, 2023)

Collaborative albums

* Cyndee Peters & Eric Bibb: ''Olikalikadant'' (Caprice, 1978) * Eric Bibb & Bert Deivert: ''April Fools'' (Opus 3, 1979) * Eric Bibb & Bert Deivert: ''River Road'' (Opus 3, 1980) * Eric Bibb & Friends: ''Songs for Peace'' (Opus 3, 1982) * Eric Bibb & Bert Deivert: ''Hello Stranger'' (Opus 3, 1983) * Cyndee Peters & Eric Bibb: ''A Collection Of Cyndee Peters & Eric Bibb'' (Opus 3, 1991) * Eric Bibb & Needed Time: ''Spirit & The Blues'' (Opus 3, 1994) * Eric Bibb & Needed Time: ''Good Stuff'' (Opus 3, 1997) * Leon & Eric Bibb: ''A Family Affair'' (Manhaton, 2002) * Eric Bibb, Rory Block, & Maria Muldaur: ''Sisters & Brothers'' (Telarc, 2004) * Eric Bibb & Friends: ''Friends'' (Telarc, 2004) * Leon & Eric Bibb: ''Praising Peace: A Tribute to Paul Robeson'' (Stony Plain, 2006) * Habib Koité - Eric Bibb: ''Brothers in Bamako'' (Stony Plain, 2012) * Eric Bibb & Andrew Maxfield: ''Celebrating Wendell Berry in Music'' (2013)''Celebrating Wendell Berry in Music'' Official Website
Retrieved 22 Nov 2013 * Eric Bibb, Ale Möller & Knut Reiersrud: ''Blues Detour'' (2014) * Eric Bibb & JJ Milteau: ''Lead Belly's Gold'' (Dixiefrog, 2015) * Eric Bibb & North Country Far with

Danny Thompson Daniel Henry Edward Thompson (born 4 April 1939) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Ma ...

: ''The Happiest Man In The World'' (Dixiefrog, 2016) * Eric Bibb, Ale Möller, Knut Reiersrud, Aly Bain etc.: ''Jazz At The Berlin Philharmonic - Celtic Roots'' (ACT, 2016)

Live albums

* ''Live at the Basement'' (2002) * ''An Evening with Eric Bibb'' (2007) * ''Live À FIP'' (a.k.a. ''Live at FIP'') (Dixiefrog, 2009) * ''Troubadour Live with Staffan Astner'' (Telarc, 2011)

DVDs

* ''Up Close With Eric Bibb'' (2008) * ''Live At The Basement'' (2010) * ''The Guitar Artistry Of Eric Bibb'' (2011)

Select special appearances and compilations

* Cyndee Peters: ''När Morgonstjärnan Brinner'' (1987) * Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir, Taj Mahal, & Eric Bibb: ''Shakin' A Tailfeather'' (1997) * Various artists: ''Jazz FM Presents Absolute Blues'' (1997) * Various artists: ''Bob Harris Presents (Volume 1)'' (1999) * Various artists: ''Hippity Hop'' (1999) * Various artists: ''All You Need Is Love (Beatles Songs For Kids)'' (1999) * Various artists: ''Putumayo Presents Mali To Memphis (An African-American Odyssey)'' (1999) * Various artists: ''Putumayo Presents World Playground (A Musical Adventure For Kids)'' (1999) * Various artists: ''Screamin' & Hollerin' The Blues'' (2000) * Various artists: ''Blue Haze (Songs Of Jimi Hendrix)'' (2000) * Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra: ''Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues'' (2001) * Various artists: ''Putumayo Kids Presents Reggae Playground'' (2006) * Eric Bibb: ''Eric Bibb, A Retrospective'' ‒ with new studio track, "Trust the Dawn", and live track, "Saucer & Cup" (2006) * Big Daddy Wilson: ''Love Is the Key'' (2009)

References

External links

Official website
* *
Artist Biography by Richard Skelly - All Music Portal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bibb, Eric 1951 births Living people American male singer-songwriters Singers from New York City American expatriates in Finland Stony Plain Records artists Telarc Records artists Ruf Records artists American expatriates in Sweden Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Provogue Records artists