Slim Harpo

Slim Harpo's laid-back, sensual style of singing and harmonica playing made him a key figure of Louisiana swamp blues in the 1950s and '60s. His catchy grooves and sly, subtle vocals found him crossing over from the blues market to the greener pastures of pop with a number of hits in the 1960s. He proved enormously influential to the British blues boom, and his songs were covered by the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and many others. On the verge of bigger, worldwide success, however, Harpo succumbed to a heart attack at age 46 in 1970.