Biography:

Katie Webster (January 11, 1936 – September 5, 1999), born Kathryn Jewel Thorne,^[1] was an American boogie-woogie pianist.

Career

Webster was initially best known as a session musician behind Louisiana musicians on the Excello and Goldband record labels, such as Lightnin’ Slim and Lonesome Sundown.^[2] She also played piano with Otis Redding in the 1960s, but after his death went into semi-retirement.^[3]

In the 1980s she was repeatedly booked for European tours and recorded albums for the German record label, Ornament Records, with Gary Wiggins and Chris Rannenberg – The International Blues Duo. She cut You Know That’s Right with the band Hot Links, and the album that established her in the United States; The Swamp Boogie Queen with guest spots by Bonnie Raitt and Robert Cray.^[2] Two-Fisted Mama! was released in 1989.^[4] She performed at both the San Francisco Blues Festival and Long Beach Blues Festival.

Webster suffered a stroke in 1993 while touring Greece but returned to performing the following year.^[5] She died from heart failure in League City, Texas, in September 1999.^[6]

Credits: