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" Allison capped the evening with a stellar performance that showed why he is the greatest live performer in blues today. "
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By Norm Shaw
As predicted, Luther Allison walked away with all the top W.C. Handy Awards at the annual show in early May. Allison took home five awards, including entertainer of the year, song of year and album of the year. Allison capped the evening with a stellar performance that showed why he is the greatest live performer in blues today. Allison's sweep capped a yearlong homecoming for the performer who has lived in Paris for nearly the last 20 years. "I am so blessed to be here today, to be with a lot of my friends I haven't seen in years. I just ran into Jimmy Rogers. I ain't seen him in probably 30 years," Allison said before the show. When he was asked about finally getting the recognition he deserves, Allison said, "All I can say is better late than never. I'm so honored." An Arkansas native, Allison said he planned to return to the United States to live at least part-time. "The road is my home. I'll go wherever the wind blows me," he said. Allison may have walked off with the most hardware, but the event also will be remember for several outstanding live performances. The show opened with the Yank Rachell, John Sebastian and Fritz Richmond jug band and followed almost a chronological order through blues history. Outstanding performances also were turned in by award winners Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor and Joe Louis Walker. Tracy Nelson and special guest Al Kooper were another highlight. Ruth Brown again proved why she should be the full-time host of the event. Her off-the-cuff remarks, particularly about Allison, were funny and well-timed. She also took a nice turn performing during the show.
But the bottom line was the awards. The winners were:
Classics of Blues Recordings
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