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By Michael "Hawkeye" Herman

It is with a heavy heart that I report to you that 96 year old blues legend
Henry Townsend passed away this evening at St. Mary's Ozaukee
Hospital, Mequon, WI at approximately 10PM (CDT) just hours after
having been the first person presented with a 'key' in Grafton's
Paramount Plaza Walk of Fame. Mr. Townsend was the last surviving
blues artist to have recorded for Paramount Records. The Paramount
Plaza Walk of Fame, currently under construction, will be a stylized piano
keyboard. Forty-four keys will each have the name of a famous
Paramount recording star.

It was in Grafton, Wisconsin that Henry Townsend recorded two songs for
Paramount Records in 1930; "Doctor, Oh Doctor," and "Jack of Diamonds
Georgia Rub." Mr. Townsend made the trip to Grafton to be honored by
the Village of Grafton as the first inductee on the Walk of Fame along with
his son, Alonzo, his son's fiancé, Kendra, and two members of his band.
Mr. Townsend arrived in Grafton on Thursday, Sept. 21st in good
spirits, but confined to a wheelchair. He was to perform at the first annual
Paramount Blues Festival as the honored guest. He was to be honored
again on Sunday, Sept. 24th, at a noontime Paramount Plaza Walk of
Fame ceremony. Myself, members of the Grafton Blues Association,
Alonzo, Kendra, and the band members all went out to dinner together on
Thursday night. Henry was talkative, happy to be in Grafton, and excited
about the weekend events that lay ahead.

However, the following day, Friday, 9/22, he was not feeling well and
it was necessary for him to be hospitalized. The hospital staff took
immediate and great care of him. He wanted to get out of there and
perform on Sat. at the festival. But it was not to be. His condition did not
improve and the doctors refused to release him on Sat. so that he could
perform. He was extremely disappointed. He told band member Scott
Shuman, "They didn't say I couldn't perform today." Shuman had to go
and get the doctor and have him come back to Mr. Townsend's hospital
room and explain to him that this meant that he could not leave the
hospital to perform.

An announcement was made at the festival that he would not be present
to perform. Alonzo Townsend spoke on behalf of his father, and
apologized to the crowd for his father not being present, and that it was
wonderful that Grafton had chosen to honor him, and that he hoped that
he would be able to make it to the Walk of Fame ceremony on Sunday. It
was not to be. Alonzo Townsend attended the noon ceremony on Sunday
and accepted the honor for his father. (see photo below) Alonzo returned
to the hospital later in the day and presented the honor to his father, who
was awake and, talkative, and most appreciative of the honor. Townsend
passed on hours later.

Henry Townsend is one of the few musicians who has recorded in every
decade for the past 80 years. He was the last surviving Paramount blues
artist. Born in Shelby, MS in 1909. As a youngster, he ran away from
home to St. Louis where, as a teenager he heard Lonnie Johnson and
other legends develop the blues sound. Henry was influenced by local
barber Henry Spaulding's recording of "Cairo Blues," and his boyhood
friend, David Perchfield. In 1929, an audition was arranged by Sam Woolf,
owner of a music store in St. Louis. Townsend recorded for Columbia in
1929, and for Paramount in 1930. It was piano great Roosevelt Sykes who
brought Townsend to the attention of Paramount records.

Henry Townsend became the "Patriarch of St. Louis blues." Performing on
piano and guitar his entire life, and nurturing the younger generations in
the world of the blues. His last release was "The 88 Blues."

Sadly submitted by Michael "Hawkeye" Herman
9/24/06 in Grafton, WI
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p.s. Since I am on the road and unable to take the time to submit this
message to other interested parties and web sites ... you all have my
permission to post this message and photo wherever blues fans might
congregate online and in the media.