Sammy Lawhorn
| Sammy Lawhorn | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Samuel David Lawhorn |
| Born |
July 12, 1935 Little Rock, Arkansas, United States |
| Died | April 29, 1990 (aged 54) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | Chicago blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1950s–1990 |
| Labels | Various |
Sammy David Lawhorn (July 12, 1935 – April 29, 1990) was an American Chicago blues guitarist, best known as a member of Muddy Waters's band. He also accompanied many other blues musicians, including Otis Spann, Willie Cobbs, Eddie Boyd, Roy Brown, Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton and Junior Wells.
Lawhorn was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. His parents soon separated, and his mother remarried, leaving him in the care of his grandparents. He made his own diddley bow, nailing baling twine to the side of their house. He frequently visited his mother and stepfather in Chicago. They bought him a ukulele, then an acoustic guitar and finally an electric guitar. By the age of fifteen, he was proficient enough to accompany Driftin' Slim on stage. With further guidance from Sonny Boy Williamson II, Lawhorn began playing with him on the radio program King Biscuit Time.
He was conscripted in 1953 and served in the United States Navy. On a tour of duty in Korea, he was injured by enemy fire during aerial reconnaissance. He remained in the Navy until his discharge in 1958. He then moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he played on recordings with the "5" Royales, Eddie Boyd, Roy Brown and Willie Cobbs. An argument with Cobbs arose over the writing credits for the song "You Don't Love Me". Finding work on his own in Chicago in 1958, Lawhorn soon moved there, despite the theft of a guitar at one of his early club performances.
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