Koko Taylor

Born Cora Walton in Attala County, Mississippi, Koko Taylor was one of the most powerful and influential blues singers of her generation. Her raw, guttural vocals and commanding stage presence earned her the title "Queen of the Blues" from no less than Willie Dixon himself. She started her career in Chicago, cleaning houses by day and singing in blues clubs by night, a rags-to-riches story so classic it might as well be copyrighted.