Former IBC winner Grady Champion plays Bluesdays at The Village at Squaw Valley. As the youngest of 28 brothers and sisters, Grady Champion knows how to be competitive.
Champion became a successful and popular blues artist after learning about the music business. He co-wrote a song that received a Grammy Award, won the 2010 International Blues Challenge, has a record label and last summer released his 10th album.
After starting as a rapper, he discovered and fell in love with blues, which you might expect from someone from Canton, Mississippi. He was inspired by Rice Miller, better known as Sonny Boy Williamson II.
“To me there was only one Sonny Boy and that was Rice Miller — that’s who I studied,” Champion said. “That’s my favorite harmonica player.”
Champion’s label is DeChamp Records, which includes Blues artists JJ Thames and Eddie Cotton Jr.
He performed with Kenny Neal at last summer’s Genoa Blues Festival.