Magic Slim and The Teardrops

Morris Holt, a/k/a Magic Slim was born in Torrence, Mississippi on August 7, 1937. He took an early interest in music, singing in the church choir. His first love was piano but, having lost a finger on his right hand in an accident, he found it difficult to play properly and switched to guitar. He worked in the fields during the week and played the blues at house parties on the weekends.

At age 11 Slim moved to Grenada, Mississippi where he later met and became friends with Magic Sam (who, years later in Chicago, gave him the name Magic Slim). Sam gave Slim some pointers on guitar when they were still youngsters. When Slim made his first trip to Chicago in 1955, Sam hired him to play bass in his band. Slim returned to Mississippi for 5 more years, perfecting his craft before he again returned to Chicago.

Slim gained national and international attention when he began playing regularly at Florence's on Chicago's south side in 1972, filling in occasionally for Hound Dog Taylor, and taking over the gig when Hound Dog moved on to a more lucrative career on the road. He formed his own band called the Teardrops, consisting of his younger brothers, Nick(whom Slim had taught to play bass) and Douglas, the drummer along with Junior Pettis on rhythm guitar. Slim's raw, rough-edged slide guitar playing, with a pounding bass line overlaid with his fiery guitar riffs and gruff, good natured vocals, was the perfect complement to the often rowdy and sometimes violent atmosphere at Florence's.

Eventually Slim left Florence's to launch a career that has taken him across the country and overseas where he is even better known then in the U.S. In 1989, he toured Europe, Japan and Brazil, becoming an instant hero in Brazil. He opened up for Buddy Guy, Etta James and Albert Collins on the first blues festival staged in Brazil and the media said he stole the show from all the illustrious competition. He then appeared on television there and dozens of magazine articles as well as every newspaper in the country. In 1990 he returned there selling out venues in 4 cities, three of which had never seen a blues show before. In 1994 Eddie Vedder personally selected the band to open a show for Pearl Jam at the New Regal Theater in Chicago.

Slim recorded a record for Wolf Records in Germany while touring in 1990 and again in 1991. Both were awarded the W.C. Handy award for the best foreign traditional blues record for the years 1990 and 1991.

At the 24th Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards May 22, 2003, Magic Slim and the Teardrops were voted the Blues Band of the Year and Magic was the only performer to be nominated in the top five categories:

Blues Entertainer of the Year Blues Band of the Year Blues Instrumentalist-Guitar Traditional Blues Album of the Year Traditional Blues-Male Artist of the Year….

Again in 2006 Magic Slim & the Teardrops were the only artist/band to be nominated in the top 5 categories.

Magic Slim & the Teardrops have been nominated for “Blues Band of the Year” for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, making it an almost annual event.

His latest release on Blind Pig Records, the recently recorded live DVD/CD, Anything Can Happen, is receiving great reviews and high acclaim. The Teardrops feature Chris Biedron playing the pounding bass lines that are integral to the Teardrops sound and John McDonald in the 2nd guitar position. His guitar work and vocals are at the level of a second leader, not a sideman, in the tradition of all Magic Slim second guitars. An explosive drummer, Vernal Taylor, formerly with Junior Wells, fills out the roster and perfectly complements the others with his incredible timing. Magic Slim and the Teardrops are a no frills, in your face Chicago blues band playing blues with a high energy delivery that will leave you breathless and begging for more.