A museum dedicated to the history of Chicago blues is to be opened in 2017, it’s been announced.
The Chicago Blues Experience will be based at the city’s Navy Pier, and comes after Buddy Guy, among others, spent many years lobbying for its development.
Guy tells WBEZ 91.5: “Chicago and these great blues players should be remembered for ever. I’ve been pulling for this for over 25 years – and we finally got it, thank God.”
The museum will be run by Terry Stewart, former operator of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
The organisation’s website says: “Chicago is the birthplace of modern blues – a pure American art form that has had a profound influence on nearly every style of music that followed.
“This music could have been forged only in Chicago. When the Great Migration brought delta blues to the city, it was amplified to reflect the energy and struggle of an urban audience.
“The Chicago Blues Experience celebrates the pioneering artists as well as the generations of musicians who have been influenced by the blues and continue to carry on its traditions.”
Further details will be revealed in due course.
