Toronzo Cannon was born in Chicago on February 14, 1968, and grew up on the South Side near Theresa’s Lounge, where as a kid he could hear Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and other blues legends playing through the door.
Paying His Dues
He learned his trade as a sideman for Chicago blues artists including Tommy McCracken, Wayne Baker Brooks and Joanna Connor, whom Ed also photographed sharing the stage with him. In 2003 he formed his own band, the Cannonball Express, and released his debut album, My Woman, in 2007.
Recordings
Two albums for Delmark Records followed, Leaving Mood (2011) and John the Conquer Root (2013), the latter earning a Blues Music Award nomination. In 2015 he signed with Alligator Records. The Chicago Way (2016) was named the No. 1 blues album of the year by England’s MOJO magazine and earned four Blues Music Award nominations. It was followed by The Preacher, The Politician or the Pimp (2019) and Shut Up and Play.
The Bluesman Who Drove a Bus
For 27 years Cannon drove a Chicago Transit Authority bus by day and played the blues by night, turning what he saw on his routes into sharp, funny and pointed songs. He retired from the CTA in 2020 to focus on music full time.
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