Bryan Lee lost his eyesight and was legally blind by the age of eight. The man now known as “Braille Blues Daddy” started out playing for Midwest crowds at the early age of 15. In the late 1950’s, Bryan Lee opened for Bill Haley & The Comets with his band “The Glaciers” performing cover music of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. By the early 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s, Bryan Lee’s musical interest turned to the sound of Chicago Blues, influenced by Chicago Bluesmen Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Hubert Sumlin and Freddie King. Bryan gained the nickname “New Orleans Blues Institution” from Quint Davis, producer of NOLa Jazz and Heritage Festival, of which Bryan has performed at for 26 years now. In 2010, Bryan was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on “Live! In Chicago” with Kenny Wayne Sheppard and Friends and won a BMA for Best Rock Blues Album for the same album.
Photo credit: R. Keith Lambert / East Coast Blues
