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

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
  • Black Ivory King (1899–1947), American pianist and singer, best known for his original version of the then popular train blues song, "The Flying Crow"
  • Deanna Bogart (born 1959), 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
  • Hadda Brooks (1916–2002), American pianist, vocalist and composer, who was billed as "Queen of the Boogie".

C

  • Leroy Carr (1905–1935), American pianist and singer, known for "Barrel House Woman No. 2" and "How Long, How Long Blues"
  • James Crutchfield (1912–2001), "King of Barrelhouse Blues"
  • Lluís Coloma (born 1973), Spanish blues and boogie woogie pianist and composer

D

  • Caroline Dahl, (birth date unknown), American 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)
  • Rosco Gordon, (1828–2002), American pianist and singer, known for "Rosco's Boogie", "T-Model Boogie", and "Kickin' the Boogie"
  • 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 (died 1930), 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 (1912 or 1917–2001) 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 }]}
  • Brendan Kavanagh (born 1967), contemporary British pianist teacher with over one 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
  • Jerry Lee Lewis (1935–2022), American pianist and singer whose boogie woogie influence permeates songs like: "Lewis Boogie", "Hadacol Boogie", "Boogie Woogie Country Man", and "Don't Boogie Woogie When You Say Your Prayers Tonight"
  • 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 (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.
  • Little Brother Montgomery (1906–1985) American blues and boogie woogie pianist and singer known for "44 Blues" and "Vicksburg Blues"
  • 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 (1928–2024), 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
  • Sunnyland Slim (1906–1995), American pianist and singer, recorded "Lowdown Sunnyland Train"
  • 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)
  • Otis Spann (1924–1970), American pianist and singer, part of the postwar Chicago blues scene, with boogie songs including "Spann's Stomp", and "Otis In The Dark"
  • 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 (1906–1926), American pianist and composer
  • Stephanie Trick (born 1987), contemporary American pianist
  • Big Joe Turner (1911–1985), American boogie-woogie singer, partnered with Pete Johnson

V

  • Mose Vinson (1917–2002), American boogie woogie and blues pianist

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 (born 1962), Swedish pianist, singer, and composer
  • Jabo Williams (possible 1895–1953 or 1954), 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

References

Bibliography

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