Toronzo Cannon
Blues
The next Toronzo Cannon concert is scheduled for Friday, July 18, 2025 at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago, IL, United States. See all 24 upcoming concerts
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About Toronzo Cannon
Hometown
United States of America
Born
1968
Genre
Blues
An exuberant proponent of Chicago blues, Toronzo Cannon kept the sounds and styles of the Windy City alive in the 21st century. Wielding a stinging guitar and a full-blooded, robust voice, Cannon doesn't forsake tradition, but rather updates the old ways so they can tell modern stories. Some of these are born from the bluesman's experience as a Chicago Transit Authority bus driver, a job he maintained even after he released albums on the city's two major blues labels, Delmark and Alligator. The blues was no side job for Cannon, though. His passion was evident on-stage and on record, a quality that helped him build an international following during the 2010s.
A native of Chicago, Toronzo Cannon was born on February 14, 1968. Raised in the south side neighborhood of Bronzeville, Cannon at first set his sights on basketball. He played the sport at Truman College but a leg injury foiled his plans, so he turned to music at the age of 22. Initially, he didn't dedicate himself to the blues. A fan of John Mellencamp, rock and reggae were among the first things he played on guitar, but he quickly gravitated to the blues. During the late '90s, he circled through a number of Chicago's blues bands, including supporting Wayne Baker Brooks, L.V. Banks, and Joanna Connor. In 2001, he formed his first band, the Cannonball Express, before going solo a few years later.
Cannon self-released his debut album My Woman in 2007. After several years of steady gigging, he signed to Delmark for Leaving Mood in 2011. The label put out John the Conquer Root in 2013, which earned him a Blues Music Award nomination for Rock Blues Album of the Year.
John the Conquer Root helped raise Cannon's profile, both at home and abroad. Even though he was now headlining concerts, the bluesman continued to drive a CTA bus, channeling his observations into his songs. Signing to Alligator in 2015, Cannon released The Chicago Way in early 2016. The Chicago Way earned strong reviews -- Mojo Magazine named it the best Blues album of the year -- and a Blues Music Award nomination for Album of the Year.
Cannon returned in September 2019 with The Preacher, The Politician or the Pimp, his second album for Alligator. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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