Several sources (including the website American Blues News) have reported that longtime Memphis blues musician and Beale St. icon Fred Sanders passed away yesterday at the age of 71 after suffering from a stroke earlier in the week.
Sanders had his share of health problems in recent years, including two difficult bouts with lung cancer, but continued to perform and record regularly all the while despite his declining condition. He was known for his gritty, skillful guitar work and soulful vocals, and was seemingly a constant presence on Beale St. and in other blues venues around town for decades.
