Eddie Cotton

Hailing from Mississippi, Eddie Cotton—also recognized as Eddie Cotton, Jr.—delivers soul-infused guitar work and vocals while favoring blends of raw electric and acoustic blues alongside modern R&B. He came into the world in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1970 and spent his early years in nearby Clinton as the son of a minister, discovering music through gospel performances inside the church. By adolescence he had developed into a skilled guitarist shaped by the legacies of B.B. King, Albert King, Howlin' Wolf, and Buddy Guy. After finishing high school he enrolled in music-theory courses at Jackson State University and began exploring jazz there as well. Around that same period he connected with the local blues figure King Edward, who brought him into the band for its regular weekly appearances at Jackson’s Subway Lounge. Two years later Cotton started his own ensemble, the Mississippi Cotton Club, and issued the independently recorded album You’re the Girl in 1998. Further independent releases soon earned strong notice, among them Live at the Alamo Theater in 2000, Live: Back at the Alamo Theatre in 2007, and Extra, also from 2007. Away from the stage he continues to serve as minister and church administrator at the Clinton congregation his father established. In 2014 he returned with the studio album Here I Come on DeChamp Records.