Koko Taylor was born Cora Walton on a farm outside of Memphis. The phenomenal singer died yesterday in a hospital in her home town of Chicago as a result of complications following surgery on 19 May. She was 80, and she was known around the world as “The Queen of the Blues.”
Koko Taylor was present at the creation of Chess Records. She influenced two generations of singers. Her last performance was on 7 May at the Memphis Blues Music Awards; she sang “Wang Dang Doodle” after receiving the award for Traditional Blues Female Artist Of The Year.
Her 1966 cover of Willie Dixon’s “Wang Dang Doodle” was a million seller and reached Number Four on the R&B charts.