Joe Louis Walker Inducted Into The Blues Hall Of Fame

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On Wednesday, May 8, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Joe Louis Walker was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall Of Fame. The induction ceremony was held at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee.

According to The Blues Foundation, "The Blues Hall of Fame is a historical record of those who have made the blues timeless through performance, documentation, and recording. Since its inception in 1980, The Blues Foundation has inducted new members annually into the Blues Hall of Fame for their historical contribution, impact and overall influence on the blues." Previous inductees include B.B. King, Hound Dog Taylor, Koko Taylor, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Etta James, Howlin' Wolf and other blues greats.

According to Walker, the induction is humbling. "I am honored to be in the company of the great artists already inducted. It's a dream come true. So many of the other inductees were not alive to appreciate the recognition. I hope to live up to the honor."

The 34th Annual Blues Music Awards will be held this evening, May 9. Walker is nominated for four 2013 Blues Music Awards including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award. His 2012 Alligator Records debut CD, Hellfire, is nominated for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year. Additionally, Walker is nominated for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Gibson Guitar Guitarist Of The Year. Living Blues magazine named Hellfire the #1 Blues CD of 2012.

The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot declared Hellfire Walker's "most rock-oriented release," bringing "the kind of fierce embellishments that Jimi Hendrix might've conjured" and that his guitar playing "spins ever wilder and wider into outer space with each solo." The Wall Street Journal's Jim Fusilli says, "Walker's raspy, powerhouse voice is out front while his stinging guitar cuts through the uncluttered arrangements." Walker received massive amounts of radio play and critical praise for Hellfire, and appeared on Conan in March of 2012, where he performed the song Ride All Night.