Pianist/singer Edward Riley Boyd was 80 when he passed in 1994 (in Finland), just a few months before Eric Clapton released the CD From The Cradle with two Boyd classics on it. Nice to know, but it's not about Clapton today, but about a man who made a considerable contribution to the Chicago blues and had big influences on guys like Peter Green and Harry Muskee, just to name a few. By the way, Eddie lived in Belgium for a while, before he relocated to Finland. He came to Europe and stayed there because of the racial problems in his own country, that's understandable.

He made several recordings in Finland, but none of them is as strong as the recordings he made in London and in Hamburg in 1965, with Buddy Guy on guitar and even with some vocal appearances from Big Mama Thornton. These recordings were released on the album Five Long Years, also the title of one of his biggest hits (see movie below). The second album to look for is Third Degree, released as a part of Charly's Blues Masterworks (Vol. 12). On that record: all the singles originally released by Chess between 1951 and 1959. Last but not least: look for the album 7936 South Rhodes, a record from the second part of the sixties where he got some help from the early Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood). You can look for more but these three releases are basically if you want the best of Eddie Boyd, and after all, that's what you need. See ya!
Five Long Years - Evidence 1994
Third Degree - Charly 1993
7936 South Rhodes - Epic 1968

Video: Eddy Boyd - Five Long Years

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