Charlie Musselwhite’s journey through the blues was from his birth in Mississippi to Memphis, Chicago and California. Arriving in Chicago in the early sixties, he was just in time for the epochal blues revival. In 1966 at the age of 22 he recorded the landmark Stand Back! to rave reviews. A precipitous relocation to San Francisco in 1967, where his album was being played on underground radio, found him welcomed into the counterculture scene around the Fillmore West as an authentic purveyor of the real deal blues. 

Fifty years of nonstop touring, performing and recording have reaped huge rewards. Charlie Musselwhite is living proof that great music only gets better with age. This man cut his (musical) teeth alongside Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and everyone on the South side of Chicago in the early 1960’s. Thank your lucky stars that he is still with us telling the truth with a voice and harp tone like no other.

More than 20 albums later he is at the top of his game, a revered elder statesman of the blues nowhere near ready to hang up his harps, his depth of expression as a singer and an instrumentalist unexcelled and only growing deeper.

Charlie has been collaborating with the world’s finest Artists for many years, including Ben Harper, Cyndi Lauper, Eddie Vedder, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Gov’t Mule, INXS, Mickey Hart and Japan’s Kodo Drummers, George Thorogood, Eliades Ochoa, Cat Stevens and personal friend and best man at his wedding John Lee Hooker.

Musselwhite, more than any other harmonica player of his generation, can rightfully lay claim to inheriting the mantle of many of the great harp players that came before him with music as dark as Mississippi mud and as uplifting as the blue skies of California. In an era when the term legendary gets applied to auto-tuned pop stars, this singular blues harp player, singer, songwriter and guitarist has earned and deserves to be honored as a true master of American classic vernacular music.

2019 GRAMMY Nominee NO MERCY IN THIS LAND with Ben Harper
2014 GRAMMY Winner GET UP with Ben Harper 
13-time GRAMMY Nominee
33-time Blues Music Award Winner
Many-time Living Blues Award Winner

CONGRATULATIONS BEN POWELL for winning the IBC San Diego regional!! 

Currently Ben Powell makes his way through this world like a one man band of years past, but with a fresh, new, vibrant sound. Ben has created a truley unique sound playing his resonator guitars, stomping on a homemade winebox footboard, playing rack-harmonica, and singing his old style blues and his original tunes about any issues of the day. Ben's show's are high energy, uplifting and should not be missed!

Ben has recently played such festivals as Telluride Brews & Blues (where he won 1st place in their blues contest), Gator By The Bay, San Diego Blues Fest, SXSW and opened sold out shows for Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang.

Ben Powell has made north county San Diego his home since 1991. Ben began performing as a solo act in 1998 after picking up some experience working in a couple bands. Powell occasionally works in a duo, trio or small band situation but for the last 7 years Ben has been making a name for himself as a riveting live performer as well as a slide guitar virtuoso. Well versed in the pre war country blues genre, Powell now spends his time composing original material.

Ben's 6th CD "Rise Up Singing" Was nominated for 'Best Blues Album' at the 2014 SDMA's And is now available to ship or download in the 'store' on the website www.benpowellmusic.com

Ben's 5th CD "New World Blues" is NOW available for shipping! Featuring all original songs as a follow up to his two volume set of country blues classics "Not Home Yet" vol.1 & 2.

Gaining experience and popularity Ben Powell continues to venture further away from his southland home to play his music for people throughout the U.S. and Europe.