R.I.P. Koko Taylor, Queen of the Blues

Koko Taylor, the Queen of the Blues, has died at the age of 80, from complications from heart surgery. Taylor, the daughter of a Tennessee sharecropper, earned her nickname for her gritty voice and soulful delivery. Willie Dixon signed her to Chess Records in 1962, and wrote her most popular single, “Wang Dang Doodle,” which became a smash hit in 1965, selling over a million copies. Taylor, who later recorded for Alligator Records, was nominated for seven Grammys, winning one in 1984 for her performance on the album Blues Explosion.

“The passion that she brought and the fire and the growl in her voice when she sang was the truth,” Blues singer and musician Ronnie Baker Brooks said Wednesday. “The music will live on, but it’s much better because of Koko. It’s a huge loss.”