List of boogie woogie musicians

Among the many boogie-woogie musicians are not only blues players, but rock and roll, and country musicians as well, and at least one classical musician.

Musicians noted for playing boogie-woogie (many of whom also perform in other styles):

A

• Rob Agerbeek (born 1937), Indonesian-born Dutch boogie-woogie and early jazz pianist
• Albert Ammons, (1907–1949), American pianist, father of bebop tenorman Gene Ammons
• Andrews Sisters, American singers known for "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
• Winifred Atwell (1914–1983) British pianist, from Trinidad

B

• Bob Baldori (born 1943), aka "Boogie Bob", American rock, blues, and boogie-woogie musician
• Marcia Ball (born 1949), American singer and pianist
• Deanna Bogart, (born 1960), American singer, pianist, and saxophonist
• James Booker (1939–1983), American pianist
• Eden Brent (born 1965), American pianist and vocalist
• Dave Brubeck (born 1920-2012), American jazz and blues pianist

C

• Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, known for "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar"
• Francis Craig (1900–1966) "Near You"
• James Crutchfield (1912–2001) St. Louis Barrelhouse Blues
• Ray Charles (1930–2004) American pianist soul, blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles

D

• Caroline Dahl, pianist and composer of boogie-woogie and American roots music
• Cow Cow Davenport (1894–1955), American pianist
• Blind John Davis (1913–1985), American pianist and singer
• Neville Dickie (born 1937), English pianist
• Fats Domino, (1928–2017), American R&B pianist and singer who recorded some boogie pieces in the 1950s
• Floyd Domino, American pianist; played for seven years with Western Swing revival band Asleep at the Wheel
• Dorothy Donegan (1922–1998). American pianist
• Georgia Tom Dorsey (1899–1993), American pianist and gospel songwriter
• Dr. John (born 1940), New Orleans blues and boogie woogie pianist and composer of "Boxcar Boogie" among others
• Champion Jack Dupree (1908–1992), New Orleans blues player
• Big Joe Duskin (1921–2007), American pianist

E

• William Ezell (1892–1963), Texas-born pianist who combined boogie-woogie with ragtime and blues

F

• Wayne Federman (born 1959), originated "Liver Lips Boogie"
• Ella Fitzgerald with The Ink Spots covered "Cow Cow Boogie".
• Frankie Ford (1939–2015), who performed "Sea Cruise" with Huey "Piano" Smith accompanying on the piano
• Ernie Freeman (1922–1981), American pianist, organist, and arranger
• Keith Emerson (1944 –2016) English keyboard player with many styles Honky Tonk. Boogie Woogie, Rock. Classical

G

• Blind Leroy Garnett (1897–1933)
• Harry Gibson "The Hipster" (1915–1991)
• Henry Gray (born 1925), American pianist credited with helping to create the Chicago blues piano sound

H

• Willie Hall, known as Drive'em Down, model and mentor to many New Orleans players
• Jools Holland, (born 1958) British musician and television presenter
• Camille Howard (1914–1993), American pianist and singer
• Bob Hall (born 1942), English pianist
• Henri Herbert, English pianist, member of The Jim Jones Revue
• John Lee Hooker (1912–2001), American boogie & blues singer and guitarist, born in Mississippi
• Nicky Hopkins (1944-1994) English pianist and organist performed on British and American pop and rock music

J

• Elton John, (1947) English singer, pianist, and composer
• Pete Johnson, (1904–1967) Big Joe Turner's piano partner; "Roll 'Em Pete" was named for him
• Louis Jordan, (1908–1975) American boogie and jump blues musician, songwriter and bandleader*
• Johnnie Johnson, (1924-2005) American boogie woogie and rock and roll piano player,sideman in Chuck Berry's band. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 in the sideman category

K

• Michael Kaeshammer, (born 1977), a Canadian pianist, vocalist, and arranger
• Shizuko Kasagi (1914–1985), Japanese singer known in Japan as the "Queen of the Boogie-Woogie" (ブギの女王, Bugi no ojō).
• Joe Krown, blues/R&B pianist/organist based in New Orleans

L

• Ladyva (Vanessa Sabrina Gnaegi) (1988), Swiss pianist
• Booker T. Laury (1914–1995), American pianist and singer
• Jerry Lee Lewis (born 1935), American rockabilly, rock & roll and country pianist, singer, and songwriter
• Meade Lux Lewis (1905–1964), American pianist whose "Honky Tonk Train Blues" was an early boogie woogie hit
• Liberace (1919–1987), American pianist
• Little Richard (born 1932), American pianist, singer, and songwriter
• Little Willie Littlefield (1931–2013), American pianist and singer
• Cripple Clarence Lofton (1887–1957)
• Professor Longhair (1918–1980) American blues, rhythm and blues, jazz pianist

M

• Memphis Slim (1915–1988)
• Big Maceo Merriweather (1905–1953), composer of "Chicago Breakdown"
• Moon Mullican (1909–1967), known as the "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players" during a recording career that stretched from the 1930s through the 1960s, including hits such as Seven Nights to Rock; considered a major influence on Jerry Lee Lewis.

N

• Romeo Nelson (1902–1974)
• Charlie Norman (1920–2005), Swedish piano player

P

• Bill Payne (born 1949), piano player for Little Feat
• Oscar Peterson, (1925–2007), modern jazz player, performed duo piano version of "Honky Tonk Train Blues" with Keith Emerson
• Piano Red (1911–1985), brother of Speckled Red
• Pinetop Perkins (1913–2011), American musician and teacher of Ike Turner
• Preacher Jack (b. 1942), stage name of John Lincoln Coughlin, American pianist, recording artist on Rounder Records.
• Sammy Price (1908–1992), American pianist and bandleader
• Professor Longhair, (Henry "Roy" Byrd, 1918–1980), American singer and pianist

R

• Boogie Woogie Red (1925–1992) American pianist, frequent collaborator with John Lee Hooker
• Maurice Rocco (1915–1976), American pianist, singer, and actor
• Walter Roland (1903–1972), American pianist, guitarist, and singer
• Leon Russell (1942–2016), American musician and songwriter

S

• Ulf Sandström (born 1964), Swedish pianist and member of jump4joy
• Bob Seeley (born c. 1930), American pianist
• Luca Sestak (born 1995), German Boogie-Woogie, Blues and Jazz pianist.
• Omar Shariff (stage name of Dave Alexander, 1938–2012), American singer and pianist
• Robert Shaw (1908–1985), American barrelhouse pianist, recorded "The Ma Grinder"
• Freddie Slack (1910–1965), American pianist and bandleader, originator of "Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar" in the 1940s
• Huey "Piano" Smith (born 1934), "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", also accompanist on Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise"
• Clarence "Pine Top" Smith (1904–1929), "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" in 1929 was the first boogie-woogie hit and popularized the name for the style
• Charlie Spand (unknown)
• Otis Spann, (1930–1970), Delta blues and boogie player, toured solo and with Muddy Waters
• Speckled Red (1892–1973), American pianist and singer, recorded "The Dirty Dozens"
• Roosevelt Sykes (1906–1983), American pianist

T

• Gene Taylor (born 1952), American pianist who has played with Canned Heat, Blasters, Fried Bourbon
• Montana Taylor (1903–1958), American pianist
• George W. Thomas (1885–c.1930), American pianist and songwriter
• Hersal Thomas (c.1909–1926), American pianist and composer
• Allen Toussaint (1938 – 2015) was an American musician, songwriter
• T. Rex, British boogie and rock band
• Stephanie Trick (born 1987), American boogie-woogie, stride, ragtime and jazz pianist
• Big Joe Turner, (1911–1985), American boogie-woogie singer, partnered with Pete Johnson
• Ike Turner, (1931–2007), American musician, bandleader, and record producer

W

• Rick Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist and songwriter
• Tuts Washington (1907–1984), mentor to many generations of New Orleans pianists
• Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne (born 1944), American-born boogie-woogie/blues/R&B pianist
• Vince Weber (born 1953), German boogie/blues musician
• Robert Wells, Swedish pianist, singer, and composer
• Clarence Williams (1898–1965), American pianist and composer who recorded some of the first examples of boogie-woogie
• Jabo Williams, American pianist and songwriter
• Mitch Woods (born 1951), American modern day boogie-woogie, jazz and jump blues pianist

Y

• Jimmy Yancey (1898–1951), American pianist, composer, and lyricist

Z

• Silvan Zingg (born 1973), Swiss pianist
• Axel Zwingenberger (born 1955), German pianist and composer
• ZZ Top, American hard boogie and rock band

Additional note

Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson sometimes played together by twos or threes, an unusual practice. See Boogie-woogie for more information.

References