RIP Koko Taylor

Koko Taylor was born on September 28, 1928. She was first discovered during a time in her life when she cleaned houses in Chicago, and would frequent blues clubs at night.

In 1962, Willie Dixon, an influential behind-the-scenes presence in Chicago blues, heard one of her impromptu performances and said, as she later recalled, "I never heard a woman sing the blues like you sing the blues." He took her to Chess Records, where he was a talent scout and producer, and wrote a number of songs for her, most notably "Wang Dang Doodle," which she recorded despite her initial trepidation about its raunchy lyrics. It made her a star.

Koko Taylor died June 3, 2009.