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James "Jimmy" Cotton (born July 1, 1935 in Tunica, Mississippi), is an American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter who is the bandleader for the James Cotton Blues Band. He also writes songs alone, and his solo career continues to this day. His work includes the following genres: Blues, Delta Blues, Harmonica Blues, Electric Harmonica Blues.

Cotton became interested in music when he first heard Sonny Boy Williamson on the radio. He left home to find Sonny Boy in West Helena, Arkansas. When Cotton explained to Williamson that he was an orphan, Sonny Boy took him in and raised him. Cotton would begin his career playing the blues harp in Howlin Wolf's band. After one gig, Sonny Boy quit the band to live with his estranged wife in Milwaukee. He left the band in Cotton's hands. Cotton was quoted as saying, ""He just gave it to me. But I couldn't hold it together 'cause I was too young and crazy in those days an' everybody in the band was grown men, so much older than me." Williamson had a lot of faith in Cotton, and his faith would ultimately be proved sound.

While he played a few instruments, Cotton was famous for his great work on the harmonica.

Cotton began to work with the Muddy Waters Band in 1955. He performed songs such as "I Got My Mojo Working" and "She's Nineteen Years Old". Muddy would often compare young Cotton to Little Walter. In 1965 he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet with Otis Spann on piano to record between gigs with Water's band. Their performances were captured by producer Samuel Charters on volume two of the classic Vanguard recording Chicago/The Blues/Today!. After leaving Muddy's band in 1966, Cotton toured with Janis Joplin while pursuing a solo career. Alone, Cotton wrote many classic songs. Some of the most famous include "Cotton Crop Blues", "Rocket 88" (the Wikipedia entry for this song credits it to Ike Turner, not Cotton), and "Hold Me In Your Arms". He formed the James Cotton Blues Band in 1967. They performed all of Cotton's classics and more. Two albums were recorded live in Montreal that year, and Cotton was on his way to becoming a legend. Cotton would become known as the ultimate showman.

In the 1970s, Cotton recorded many albums with Buddah Records. Cotton played harmonica on Muddy Water's Grammy Award winning 1977 comeback album Hard Again, produced by Johnny Winter. The James Cotton Blues Band would soon become The James Cotton Trio, and by 1987, he was up for his second Grammy Nomination. The first one was for his 1984 release, Live From Chicago: Mr. Superharp Himself!. His second for Take Me Back.

A throat problem left Cotton with an extremely raspy voice in recent years, but he continues to tour infrequently. Cotton's latest release Baby Don't You Tare My Clothes was released in 2004.

Cotton has worked with a number of famous artists.

• 2004 was Cotton's 60th year in the entertainment industry
• At 17, he began hosting his own 15-minute radio show on KWEM in West Memphis, Arkansas
• Cotton was famous for doing backflips on stage in his younger days
• Cotton was taught to sign his name by Diane Dunn

• Chicago/The Blues/Today! vol. 2
• Take Me Back
• 3 Harp Boogie
• Live from Chicago Mr. Superharp Himself
• High Compression
• 100% Cotton
• Live & On the Move
• Cut You Loose!
• Mighty Long Time
• Fire Down Under the Hill
• Baby, Don't You Tear My Cloths
• Deep in the Blues
• Living the Blues
• 35th Anniversary Jam

• Chicago Blues Festival

• All Music Guide
• James Cotton discography from Music City
• His official website
• Review of Breakin' It Up Breakin' It Down CD

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