Mighty Mo Rodgers

Mighty Joe Rodgers (b. Maurice Rodgers in East Chicago, July 24, 1942 - ) -- Singer, songwriter, producer, and keyboardist. With his father owning a night club in East Chicago, Rodgers was very familiar with the blues and would sneak into the Chicken Shack in Gary to take in sets by Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, and others. After becoming a state wrestling champion in the 154 weight class at East Chicago Washington High School, Rodgers went on to Indiana State University on an athletic scholarship. While there, he formed an R & B trio for which he played a Wurlitzer. His band was a big hit at Saturday night frat parties, but he had the itch to move to Los Angeles to break into the R & B scene. Following were several years of gigging, session work (notably on Brent Wood's "Gimme Little Sign," 1967), producing (Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcgee, A & M Records, 1973), and songwriting. Decades later, he established himself as a blues artist. From 1999 to 2007, he released six studio albums, garnering several awards and nominations; his honors include a W.C. Handy Awards' nomination for "Best Album of the Year" (Blues is my Wallin' Wall, 1999), Living Blues magazine award for "Best Album of the Year" (Red, White, and Blue, 2002), and several awards in France. His bookings for the remainder of 2019 are in Lithuania, France, and Switzerland.