James Cotton, along with Little Walter, was one of the greatest innovators of the harmonica in Chicago electric blues during the 1950s. He is considered one of the most influential harmonica players in the history of blues. Alongside Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, Walter Horton, George Smith, Carey Bell or Mojo Buford, they revolutionized the genre while writing the history of blues music.

SOME CHRONOLOGY

James Cotton was born in Tunica (MS) on July 1, 1935
His interest in blues music began after hearing Sonny Boy Williamson on the radio.
He moved to West Helena (AR) to meet Sonny Boy and learn everything he could.
In the early fifties, he settled in Chicago and began playing in Howlin' Wolf's blues band.
In 1954, he recorded his first single, "Cotton Crop Blues," at Sun Records Studios in Memphis.
In 1956, he replaced Junior Wells in Muddy Waters' blues band, where he remained until 1965.
His first single with Muddy Waters, "I Live The Life I Love (I Love The Life I Live)," was recorded on December 1, 1956.
"Sings Big Bill," released in 1959, was Muddy Waters' first album with Cotton as the harmonica player.
In 1965, he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Band with Otis Spann on piano, Jmes Madison on guitar and SP Leary on drums.
The James Cotton Blues Band was formed in 1966, "The James Cotton Blues Band," for the Verve label was released in 1967.
Some of the main record labels James Cotton has released abums with include Verve, Capitol, Vanguard, Telarc, Budda, Blind Pig, and Antone's.
Cotton signed with Alligator Records in 1984 and released "High Compression," the first of five original albums he would record with the Chicago-based label between 1984 and 2013.
James Cotton won the WC Handy Awards eight times - 1987,1989,1991(2),1997(2), 2001, 2003 - and received two Blues Music Awards - 2008, 2014.
He died from pneumonia on March 16, 2017 at the age of 81