James "Jimmy" Cotton (born July 1, 1935 in Tunica, Mississippi), is an American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter who is the bandleader for the James Cotton Blues Band. He also writes songs alone, and his solo career continues to this day. Cotton became interested in music when he first heard Sonny Boy Williamson on the radio. He left home to find Sonny Boy in West Helena, Arkansas. When Cotton explained to Williamson that he was an orphan, Sonny Boy took him in and raised him. Cotton would begin his career playing the blues harp in Howlin Wolf's band. After one gig, Sonny Boy quit the band to live with his estranged wife in Milwaukee. He left the band in Cotton's hands. Cotton was quoted as saying, ""He just gave it to me. But I couldn't hold it together 'cause I was too young and crazy in those days an' everybody in the band was grown men, so much older than me." Williamson had a lot of faith in Cotton, and his faith would ultimately be proved sound. While he played a few instruments, Cotton was famous for his great work on the harmonica. Cotton began to work with the Muddy Waters Band in 1955. He performed songs such as "I Got My Mojo Working" and "She's Nineteen Years Old". Muddy would often compare young Cotton to Little Walter. In 1965 he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet with Otis Spann on piano to record between gigs with Water's band. Their performances were captured by producer Samuel Charters on volume two of the classic Vanguard recording Chicago/The Blues/Today!. After leaving Muddy's band in 1966, Cotton toured with Janis Joplin while pursuing a solo career. Alone, Cotton wrote many classic songs. Some of the most famous include "Cotton Crop Blues", "Rocket 88", and "Hold Me In Your Arms". He formed the James Cotton Blues Band in 1967. They performed all of Cotton's classics and more. Two albums were recorded live in Montreal that year, and Cotton was on his wa
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