Biography

Born in 1936, in Clarendon, Arkansas, she grew up picking cotton until moving to Chicago where she quickly became a staple on the Westside Blues scene, playing alongside greats such as Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, and Junior Wells. In 2019, Mary released the album Travelin’ Woman and was the focus of a feature length documentary about Mary’s life and struggle which garnered national press.

How We Helped:

Music Maker was introduced to Mary in 2019 and quickly worked to help her address critical housing needs. Facing eviction, Music Maker gave her an emergency relief grant so that she could stay in her apartment while our Artist Support Specialist connected Mary with local nonprofits in Chicago for ongoing support.