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Blues Legend Pinetop Perkins Dies In His Austin Home

Pinetop Perkins, born Joe Willie Perkins, died in his Austin home today, according to AP reports.
Photo by kurtz http://www.flickr.com/photos/kurtz433/with/2304330751/
Pinetop Perkins, born Joe Willie Perkins, died in his Austin home today, according to AP reports.

From the Associated Press:

Grammy-winner Pinetop Perkins, one of the last old-school bluesmen, has died at his home in Austin,Texas. His manager said woke up with chest pains and died of cardiac arrest at the age of 97.  Perkins was a fixture of Austin blues clubs, playing regular gigs up to last month. He played the piano with an aggressive style and sand with a distinctive gravelly voice.

Pinetop Perkins performed live at KUT's studio 1A in 2007.  You can listen to that interview and performance here.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.