Elga Speed Edmonds (June 22, 1909 – August 26, 1966), sometimes mistakenly credited as Elgin Evans in early record discographies although he never used that name himself, was an American drummer. He was the drummer in

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

musician

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

' band during its most successful period, and played with other leading blues musicians in the 1940s and 1950s. He was born in

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. It is a principal city of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, which had 236,000 residents i ...

, and played washboard in local blues bands before moving in the 1930s to Chicago, where he performed in clubs. Muddy Waters had used various drummers including Baby Face Leroy in his bands, but in 1950 established a permanent band with Edmonds as drummer. Edmonds made early recordings with

Jimmy Rogers Jay or James Arthur "Jimmy" Rogers (June 3, 1924December 19, 1997) was an American Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player, best known for his work as a member of Muddy Waters's band in the early 1950s. He also had a solo career and ...

, Leroy Foster,

Floyd Jones Floyd Jones (July 21, 1917 – December 19, 1989) was an American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was one of the first of the new generation of electric blues artists to record in Chicago after World War II, and a number of his recor ...

and others, and beginning on July 11, 1951, appeared on most of Muddy Waters' recordings until being replaced by Francis Clay c. 1954. He was fired by Muddy Waters in the late 1950s, and died in 1966 aged 57. His final recording session was made in December 1965, backing guitarist/mandolinist Johnny "Man" Young.

References

1909 births 1966 deaths People from Urbana, Illinois Musicians from Illinois American blues drummers {{US-drummer-stub