Cover photo © 2026 Bob Kieser
Eddie Cotton, Jr. was born and raised in the heart of the blues: Mississippi. After playing music his whole young life, Cotton earned a music scholarship and was graduated from Jackson State University, where he played jazz, blues, and learned music theory. His real launching pad was not uncommon for a musician of his generation though.
“Most definitely church. It seemed like the first day of my life I was in church…the Church of God in Christ. One of the few things I remember vividly was standing in the middle of the aisle, watching musicians play. I was playing drum set for the Sunshine Band (the children’s band at Zion Chapel Church), at about three years old. I always had instruments at home. When I was five or six, I started diddly daddling around with my daddy’s guitar, then my mom bought a piano.”
Cotton’s late father, Eddie Cotton, Sr. was a Pentecostal minister who founded Christ Chapel Church of God in Christ in Clinton, Mississippi in 1978. That close proximity to vibrant, stirring music struck a chord with young Eddie.
“At that time preachers played guitars. I was always fascinated and watched them play. The COGIC Church is a very musical church, they have never been conservative when came to music and instruments. I got all my zeal from church watching guitar players. Later on, when I was a teenager, I used to hear stuff on the radio: blues, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Albert King, B.B. King. The connection between the two, it always sounded the same to me,” Cotton explained.
It’s that connection that defines Cotton’s music. Saturday night vs. Sunday morning. It’s a blend of gospel, soul, and blues. It feels like an authentic connection to blues history, by someone who has been there and done that. His singing is reminiscent of Rev. Al Green. His guitar playing is melodic and lyrical in a B.B. King kind of way. That’s a combination that he describes in his 2025 single “Delivered By The Blues”, giving credit for his musical exploits to his family and the church.
“My daddy was a no-nonsense person. He was dedicated to what he did. He was a hard-working man. I learned a lot from him. I use some of the business that I learned from him, because church has a business side also. My daddy taught me one thing, ‘Don’t ever wait on nobody to do nothing for you, make your own way. Let ‘em find you on the grind. In business sometimes some people wait on certain people to catch ‘em by the hand and lead ‘em’.”
With that mantra in mind, in 2015 Eddie Jr. found himself a 45-year-old bluesman with several records under his belt and great talent, but a need to increase his national recognition. So, he took the bull by the horns and entered the International Blues Challenge… and won. It would be a boost to his career. “The IBC was kind of personal for me, because at that time I was trying to take every excuse from people that was saying that they didn’t know me. It came with $200,000 worth of advertising. That business side of it, I tried it out. It did help, because if you win a title and you’re experienced, you know how to use titles.”
That platform proved useful. In addition to playing across the United States, Cotton has traveled to Canada, France, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, and other countries to spread the gospel of the blues. He has played the Chicago Blues Festival, Central Park in New York, the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, the National Folk Festival, the National NAACP Convention in Las Vegas, SXSW festival in Austin, and other large stages, but these days, he has mainly been playing in the South and Mississippi specifically. He was just announced as part of the lineup for 49th Annual Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival, one of the Delta’s most anticipated cultural events. The September event is held annually in Greenville, Mississippi and is recognized as the world’s longest continuously running blues festival. Other artists on the bill this year include Bobby Rush, Leela James, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Lil’ Jimmy Reed, Big A and the Allstars, Lattimore, and others.
“I still have playing opportunities, but there are certain opportunities that I want now. I’ve never wanted to just run and play three-hour sets across the country, I don’t believe you have to wear yourself out like that. I love to promote my own thing and have freedom to do what I want to do. I love festivals and casinos and stuff like that. In 2001, when they opened up the Bottleneck Blues Bar in Ameristar Casino, we had a good ten year run of casinos in Mississippi. That stopped a lot of running around, I liked the casino circuit. I’ve always picked my shots,” Cotton said. “If somebody wants me, I’ll go anywhere to play if it makes any sense. But I concentrate more on when Dave wants to come to Jackson, that Dave gets the real deal.”
Meeting legendary blues picker King Edward Antoine would be a pivotal moment for Cotton in the early days. As he told Jefferson, the magazine of the Swedish Blues Association, “I met King Edward one night and he let me sit in with him and he gave me a job the very next week at the Subway Lounge and that’s where it started from for me and that was in 1991. I played with King Edward at the Subway Lounge for about two and a half years. One thing led to another and then I got my own band and we never looked back from there, and I started my own band in 1996 and that’s when I put The Mississippi Cotton Club together.” That’s a pretty good mentor to have. Antoine is the cousin of zydeco legend Clifton Chenier. He played for many years in Chicago with Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, and others, before making Mississippi his home. He is honored on three Mississippi Blues Trail markers (Cotton is so mentioned on four). Beatty St. Blues Club in Jackson just held an 89th birthday party for King Edward.
When he hit the road, Cotton (no relation to James) learned a lot from opening for some of the biggest blues legends ever. “My career started when a lot of the old heads were going out and I was coming in. So, I got to play shows on the lineup with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Little Milton, Ike Turner. Those moments there were very special to me. I was real young out there at the time from Mississippi and trying to play blues. But I made it to see, play on the same bills, and meet a lot of these people before they died. I enjoyed that,” Cotton remembered. Buddy Guy, of course, continues to thrive and win GRAMMYs at age 89. Cotton has also shared the stage with stars like Robert Cray, Hubert Sumlin, John Mayall, Etta James, Cassandra Wilson, Jonny Lang, Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, Charlie Pride, and many more.
Cotton’s most recent LP is 2024’s The Mirror. It was a strong effort, given a glowing review by this magazine. He mixes up the tempos and blues styles. One of the tunes that shows off his singing range best is “Leaning Towards Leaving”.Many of the songs are about a tried-and-true blues subject matter: women, both good and bad. “I’m not thinkin’ about no religious lyrics. I’m singing from experiences and life lessons that I’m trying to teach. I’m just trying to stay true to what I know,” he said. The record also turns the trick of authentically sounding like 1970s-era blues and soul, while being comprised of newly written songs. He has also released several other albums, including One at a Time, Here I Come, and Live at the Alamo Theatre that are worth checking out. The live record is a snapshot of Cotton in 2008. The Texas-tinged soloing and confident singing on Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign” is one memorable moment. He bounces effortlessly between his then-contemporary R&B material like “Why Must I Cry” and old blues numbers like Howlin’ Wolf’s “Shake For Me” and Hound Dog Taylor’s “She’s Gone”. There will be another addition to Cotton’s discography before long, his eighth album is in the can.
“I just finished a brand-new recording, I’m working with Malaco Records. It should be out sometime this year. I’m trying to do something with the blues that competes with other genres, but not changing it too much. I was able to keep that traditional feel and I believe that it will do well in the commercial market.” One of the standout tracks is called “Bubblegum Lover”. Cotton produced and wrote the 12-song record, used his regular road band, and didn’t have to go far to do it. “I could walk to Malaco. It’s very interesting to have a label of their reputation right in your own backyard in Jackson, Mississippi.”
When discussing blues cities in Mississippi, Clarksdale has the Crossroads and a thriving scene that must be mentioned. Vicksburg, Tupelo, Greenwood, Tunica, Bentonia, Robert Johnson’s hometown Hazlehurst, Howlin’ Wolf’s birthplace White Station, B.B. King’s birthplace Itta Bena, the North Mississippi Hill Country, and many small towns throughout the state have their history. Cotton acknowledged that these days Biloxi has the coast, casinos, and tourist appeal, but they’re no Jackson.
“The cream of the crop is going to always have to migrate to Jackson. Jackson is a happening place and has a very diverse music scene. Playing in Jackson is very competitive,” Cotton said. “You have some great players in Jackson. I don’t know why Jackson isn’t talked about more. If you anything in Mississippi, at some point you’re going to have to come to Jackson to prove yourself. You got to get your pressure test in Jackson (laughs).”
The Blues Blast Music Award nominee is a throwback. He does not seem to care much about social media or the trappings of modern blues rock stardom. He largely plays in the soul blues and juke joint styles that he grew up with. He speaks politely, with a strong Mississippi accent. He likes his guitar and his hometown. That made it even more meaningful when he was recognized by his home state. In 2025, Cotton received the Governor’s Arts Award from the Mississippi Arts Commission for excellence in music. Established in 1988, the annual awards recognize outstanding achievements in artistic disciplines, arts education, and cultural leadership. It is the highest honor a living artist can receive in the state.
“That was a great honor to be honored in your own state like that. I enjoyed it. My momma went with me. She was so proud. Certain things mean more to your parents than they do you, but I was happy to have that.”
Cotton has gone from young buck to a late 50s veteran of the blues. He still listens to all the young artists coming up and has some advice for them.
“Stay humble. You’re not doing anything that hasn’t been done before. Stay true. Politics is what it is, but the most important thing is keep trying to improve. You can learn from anybody. Don’t ever think that you know it all. Even if you’re in the limelight, stay humble.”
The goal for Cotton these days is pretty simple: give the people what they want, which is not coincidentally what makes him happy.
“Anytime that they see me, I’m trying to give them the best blues and music experience that I can. I really love music, other artists. I’m just blessed to be a part of the scene. I’m glad about that. I’m still trying to get better and take advantage of every business opportunity, even if I have to create it. I’m still competing.”
Visit Eddie’s website for more information and performance dates at https://eddiecotton.com/
