Alvin Youngblood Hart

Alvin Youngblood Hart was born in Oakland, California, and spent some time in Carroll County, Mississippi, in his youth, where he was influenced by the Mississippi Country Blues performed by his relatives. Hart is known as one of the world's foremost practitioners of country blues. He is also known as a faithful torchbearer for the 1960s and 1970s guitar rock of his youth, as well as Western Swing and vintage country. His music has been compared to a list of diverse artists ranging from Lead Belly, and Spade Cooley to acoustic and electric guitar as well as banjo and sometimes the mandolin. Bluesman Taj Mahal once said about Hart: "The boy has got thunder in his hands." Hart himself said, "I guess my big break came when I opened for Taj Mahal for four nights at Yoshi's."

His debut album, "Big Mama's Door", came out in 1996. In 2003, Hart's album "Down in the Alley" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. In 2005, Hart received a Grammy Award for his contribution to "Beautiful Dreamer" – The Songs of Stephen Foster.

Hart was featured in the 2003 Wim Wenders film "The Soul of a Man", which was featured in Martin Scorsese's film series "The Blues". Hart was also featured in the documentary "Last of the Mississippi Jukes".

Hart appeared in the film "The Great Debaters" in 2007, playing a 1930s juke-joint musician.

(Alvin Youngblood Hart at 24th annual Pocono's Blues Festival 2015)