Cyrus Hayes & Lady Lee
Mr. President
Smokin' Hot Chicago Blues with intense harmonica and incredible vocals that give their music a sense of urgency. They burned down the stage at Chicago Blues Fest '09 and were called the "First Couple of Chicago Blues" by americanbluesblog.com.
If you were at Chicago Blues Festival, 2009 you already know about Cyrus Hayes, Lady Lee and the Soul Review Band. For an hour and a half on Saturday afternoon, 3500 people were dancing, clapping and stomping in front of the Gibson Guitar Crossroads stage listening to Cyrus, Lady Lee and the Soul Review Band tear it up.
Cyrus and Lady Lee were aptly named "The First Couple of Chicago Blues" by americanbluesblog.com.
Cyrus Hayes is definitely one of the better kept secrets on the Chicago music scene, at least until Blues Fest. He and his wife Lady Lee are Entertainers in every sense of the word. Hundreds of people play and sing the blues all over Chicago, but not many put the energy into their show that Cyrus and Lady Lee do.
Cyrus started singin’ the blues as a 12-year-old kid in Little Rock, Arkansas, where his sister would sneak him into juke joints to compete in talent shows. He left Little Rock with some musician buddies in 1979, heading for Chicago because everyone knows that’s where you go if you’re a Blues Musician. Shortly after his arrival, he was a mainstay of west-side blues and R&B.
Cyrus was joined by Lady Lee in ‘88, played with Albert King in ‘89 and released a record in ‘90 containing Mr. President. Written by Cyrus, Mr. President is a rarity in the world of blues. This song injects humor into the hard times and showcases Cyrus’s lyrical talents. ‘94 saw the release of Right Back For More, a love song painted in blues.
Soft spoken and down to earth off stage, these two are explosive when it’s “show time”. Their show includes incredible vocals from both of them, punctuated by Cyrus’s falsetto runs, bird calls and some of the best harmonica playing in Chicago. He even plays it with his nose or puts it in his mouth and plays it no-handed. Lady Lee's gravely, deep baritone voice is quite unexpected after listening to her talk, but this lady can Really sing the Blues.
Their repertoire includes their original music as well as a diverse collection of blues and R&B standards done, of course, “Cyrus Hayes and Lady Lee Style”.
Blues: Chicago Style