List of boogie woogie musicians

Boogie woogie musicians are those artists who are primarily recognized as writing, performing, and recording boogie woogie music.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A

• Rob Agerbeek (1937–2023), Indonesian-born Dutch boogie-woogie and early jazz pianist
• Dave Alexander (1938–2012), aka 'Omar Sharriff", American blues pianist
• Albert Ammons (1907–1949), American pianist, father of bebop tenorman Gene Ammons
• The Andrews Sisters, American singers known for "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
• Winifred Atwell (1914–1983), British pianist, from Trinidad

B

• Bob Baldori (born 1943), aka "Boogie Bob", American rock, blues, and boogie-woogie musician
• Marcia Ball (born 1949), American singer and pianist
• Deanna Bogart (born 1960), American singer, pianist, and saxophonist
• Boogie Woogie Red (1925–1992), American pianist, frequent collaborator with John Lee Hooker
• James Booker (1939–1983), American pianist
• Eden Brent (born 1965), American pianist and vocalist

C

• James Crutchfield (1912–2001), "King of Barrelhouse Blues"

D

• Caroline Dahl, pianist and composer of boogie-woogie and American roots music
• Cow Cow Davenport (1894–1955), American pianist
• Blind John Davis (1913–1985), American pianist and singer
• Daryl Davis (born 1958), American pianist, singer and bandleader
• Neville Dickie (born 1937), English pianist
• Fats Domino (1928–2017), American R&B pianist and singer who recorded some boogie pieces in the 1950s
• Floyd Domino, American pianist; played for seven years with Asleep at the Wheel
• Dorothy Donegan (1922–1998), American pianist
• Thomas A. Dorsey (1899–1993), American pianist and gospel songwriter
• Champion Jack Dupree (1908–1992), New Orleans blues player
• Big Joe Duskin (1921–2007), American pianist

E

• William Ezell (1892–1963), Texas-born pianist who combined boogie-woogie with ragtime and blues

F

• Ernie Freeman (1922–1981), American pianist, organist, and arranger

G

• Blind Leroy Garnett (1897–1933)
• Harry Gibson, "The Hipster" (1915–1991)
• Henry Gray (1925–2020), American pianist credited with helping to create the Chicago blues piano sound

H

• Bob Hall (born 1942), English pianist
• Willie Hall, known as Drive'em Down, model and mentor to many New Orleans players
• Jools Holland (born 1958), British musician and television presenter
• Camille Howard (1914–1993), American pianist and singer
• John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist

J

• Dr. John (1941–2019), New Orleans blues and boogie woogie pianist and composer of "Boxcar Boogie" among others
• Pete Johnson (1904–1967), Big Joe Turner's piano partner; "Roll 'Em Pete" was named for him
• Louis Jordan (1908–1975), American boogie and jump blues musician, songwriter and bandleader

K

• Michael Kaeshammer (born 1977), Canadian pianist, vocalist, and arranger
• Shizuko Kasagi (1914–1985), Japanese singer known in Japan as the "Queen of the Boogie-Woogie" (ブギの女王, Bugi no ojō)}]}
• Brendan Kavanagh (born 1967), contemporary British pianist teacher with over 1 million YouTube followers, known as "Dr K"

L

• Ladyva (Vanessa Sabrina Gnaegi) (born 1988), Swiss pianist
• Booker T. Laury (1914–1995), American pianist and singer
• Meade Lux Lewis (1905–1964), American pianist whose "Honky Tonk Train Blues" was an early boogie woogie hit
• Liberace (1919–1987), American pianist
• Little Willie Littlefield (1931–2013), American pianist and singer
• Cripple Clarence Lofton (1887–1957)
• Professor Longhair (Henry "Roy" Byrd, 1918–1980), American singer; blues, rhythm and blues, and jazz pianist

M

• Barrelhouse Buck McFarland (1903–1962)
• Memphis Slim (1915–1988)
• Big Maceo Merriweather (1905–1953), composer of "Chicago Breakdown"
• Arthur Migliazza (born 1980), American blues and boogie woogie pianist.
• Moon Mullican (1909–1967), known as the "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players" during a recording career that stretched from the 1930s through the 1960s, including hits such as "Seven Nights to Rock"; considered a major influence on Jerry Lee Lewis

N

• Romeo Nelson (1902–1974)
• Charlie Norman (1920–2005), Swedish piano player

P

• Oscar Peterson (1925–2007), Canadian jazz pianist and composer
• Piano Red (1911–1985), brother of Speckled Red
• Piano "C" Red (1933–2013), Chicago blues and boogie-woogie pianist, singer and composer
• Honey Piazza (born 1951), West Coast blues and boogie-woogie pianist
• Pinetop Perkins (1913–2011), American musician and teacher of Ike Turner
• Preacher Jack (born 1942), stage name of John Lincoln Coughlin, American pianist, recording artist on Rounder Records
• Sammy Price (1908–1992), American pianist and bandleader

R

• Maurice Rocco (1915–1976), American pianist, singer, and actor
• Walter Roland (1903–1972), American pianist, guitarist, and singer

S

• Ulf Sandström (born 1964), Swedish pianist and member of jump4joy
• Bob Seeley (born 1928), American pianist
• Luca Sestak (born 1995), German boogie-woogie, blues and jazz pianist
• Robert Shaw (1908–1985), American barrelhouse pianist, recorded "The Ma Grinder"
• Freddie Slack (1910–1965), American pianist and bandleader, originator of "Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar" in the 1940s
• Huey "Piano" Smith (1934–2023), "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", also accompanist on Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise"
• Pinetop Smith (1904–1929), "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" in 1929 was the first boogie-woogie hit and popularized the name for the style
• Charlie Spand (1893–after 1958)
• Speckled Red (1892–1973), American pianist and singer, recorded "The Dirty Dozens"
• Roosevelt Sykes (1906–1983), American pianist known as the Honeydripper, he recorded "Forty-Four", "Driving Wheel" and "Night Time Is the Right Time".

T

• Montana Taylor (1903–1958), American pianist
• George Washington Thomas (1883–1937), American pianist and songwriter
• Hersal Thomas (c.1909–1926), American pianist and composer
• Stephanie Trick, contemporary American pianist
• Big Joe Turner (1911–1985), American boogie-woogie singer, partnered with Pete Johnson

W

• Tuts Washington (1907–1984), mentor to many generations of New Orleans pianists
• Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne (born 1944), American-born boogie-woogie/blues/R&B pianist
• Vince Weber (1953–2020), German boogie/blues musician
• Robert Wells, Swedish pianist, singer, and composer
• Jabo Williams, American pianist and songwriter
• Mitch Woods (born 1951), American modern day boogie-woogie, jazz and jump blues pianist

Y

• Jimmy Yancey (1898–1951), American pianist, composer, and lyricist

Z

• Silvan Zingg (born 1973), Swiss pianist
• Axel Zwingenberger (born 1955), German pianist and composer

Bibliography

• The Story of Boogie-Woogie - A Left Hand Like God, Silvester, Peter J., The Scarecrow Press, 2009, Maryland (USA), 2nd edition, ISBN 9780810869240