MS SC653

James Cotton, Mississippi blues harmonica master and Grammy Award-winning performer, died March 16, 2017, at age 81.

Cotton learned harmonica as a child in the Mississippi Delta and became a major figure in blues music as a sideman to Muddy Waters from 1954 to 1966 and as a solo performer.

Cotton was recognized as one of the foremost masters of the blues harmonica, known for his technique of circular breathing and his contributions to classic recordings including "Got My Mojo Working" and "Rock Me."

Cotton won a Grammy Award in 1996 in the best traditional blues category for his album "Deep in the Blues" and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis in 2006.

The Legislature extends condolences to Cotton's surviving family, including his second wife Jacklyn Hairston, three children, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.