Louisiana Red

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Louisiana Red (born Iverson Minter, March 23, 1932, Bessemer, Alabama, United States) is an American blues guitarist, harmonica player, and singer, who has recorded more than 50 albums. He is best known for his song "Sweet Blood Call".

Minter lost his parents early in life; His mother died of pneumonia shortly after his birth, and his father was lynched by the Ku Klux Klan when he was five. He was brought up by a series of relatives in various towns and cities. Red recorded for Chess in 1949, before joining the army. After leaving the army, he spent two years in the late 1950s playing with John Lee Hooker in Detroit. He recorded for Checker Records in 1952, billed as Rocky Fuller.

His first album, Lowdown Back Porch Blues, was recorded in New York with Tommy Tucker and released in 1963, with second album Seventh Son released later the same year.

Louisiana Red released the single "I'm Too Poor To Die" for the Glover label in 1964. It peaked at Billboard position #117, and Cashbox R&B position 30 (Bilboard did not print standard R&B charts during 1964).

He maintained a busy recording and performing schedule through the 1990s, having done sessions for Chess, Checker, Atlas, Glover, Roulette, L&R and Tomato amongst others. In 1983 he won a W.C. Handy Award for Best Traditional Blues Male Artist. He has lived in Hanover, Germany since 1981.

He has also made film appearances in Rockpalast (1976), Comeback (1982), Ballhaus Barmbek (1988), Red and Blues (2005) and Family Meeting (2008).

In 1994 Red fused the blues with the urban Greek music of the bouzouki player, Stelios Vamvakaris, on the album, Blues Meets Rembetika. He continues to tour, including regular returns to the US.

Wikipedia contributors. "Louisiana Red." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Oct. 2010. Web. 28 Oct. 2010.