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Biography

Richard L. "Dick" Shurman (born May 23, 1950) is an American record producer, sound engineer, music journalist, music historian, and backing vocalist. He has produced numerous recordings by notable musicians including Johnny Winter, Lurrie Bell, Eddie C. Campbell, Albert Collins, Little Smokey Smothers, Jody Williams, Roy Buchanan, Big Bill Morganfield, Larry Garner, Robert Cray, Hip Linkchain, Magic Slim, Charlie Musselwhite, Otis Rush, Johnny Heartsman, and Fenton Robinson. Shurman has also written many liner notes, and is the publisher of Chicago Blues News. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Blues Foundation's "Keeping the Blues Alive" award. He co-produced Showdown!, an album which won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1987. Shurman was inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame in 2014 for his multitudinous contributions as a 'non-performer'.

Biography

Shurman was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States, and later resided in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, before relocating to Seattle after his father secured employment with Boeing. There he befriended a number of blues musicians, and started writing articles for the British magazine, Blues Unlimited. Shurman first attended the University of Chicago in September 1968. Fearing that his continual attendance at local blues clubs may harm his education, he enrolled at the University of Washington, earning a master's degree in library science that enabled him to begin full-time employment in a suburban library back in Chicago. He continued to work full-time in a succession of library jobs. His occasional writing work led Shurman to interview musicians such as Albert Collins, Otis Rush, Jody Williams, Johnny Heartsman, and Lee "Shot" Williams. Shurman befriended many blues figures including Earl Hooker and Johnny Heartsman.

His involvement in, and passion for Chicago blues, led Shurman into record production work. His most successful period was with Alligator Records, often working alongside the label's founder Bruce Iglauer on production duties. Albert Collins was signed by Alligator Records in 1978, on the recommendation of Shurman, whom Collins had met in Seattle. His first release for the label was Ice Pickin' (1978), which was recorded at Curtom Studios, Chicago, and produced by Iglauer, Shurman and Richard McLeese.

Shurman co-produced the album Showdown!, with Iglauer, which won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1987.

Shurman has contributed to various publications, including Living Blues, Juke Blues and Block Magazine. In 1997, Shurman jointly compiled and wrote the liner notes for Sonny Boy Williamson II's compilation album, His Best. In 2000, Shurman gave encouragement to Jody Williams to resume performing, and produced Williams' comeback album, Return of a Legend (2002), on which his bold playing belied his thirty-year break from music.

In 2010, following the death of Little Smokey Smothers, Shurmand and Iglauer jointly penned an obituary which appeared in Living Blues.

In 2014, Shurman was inducted as a member of the Blues Hall of Fame.

Shurman has annotated many albums and contributed to chapters of books, feature articles and reviews, and for many years had a news column in Living Blues. He is also a member of the Chicago Blues Festival Advisory Committee. His annotation work included the ten disc box set, Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. B.B. King (2012). In addition he earlier penned the liner notes for Howlin' Wolf's 1991 compilation, The Chess Box.

Selected record production and other work

YearAlbum titleArtistOther information
1976Right Place, Wrong TimeOtis RushLiner notes
1978Ice Pickin'Albert CollinsCo-production with Bruce Iglauer and Richard McLeese
1980FrostbiteAlbert CollinsCo-production with Iglauer and Casey Jones
1983Don't Lose Your CoolAlbert CollinsCo-production with Iglauer and Collins
1984Guitar SlingerJohnny WinterCo-production with Iglauer and Winter
1985Serious BusinessJohnny WinterCo-production with Iglauer and Winter
1985Showdown!Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny CopelandCo-production with Iglauer
1985When a Guitar Plays the BluesRoy BuchananCo-production with Iglauer and Buchanan
1986Dancing on the EdgeRoy BuchananCo-production with Iglauer and Buchanan
1986Third DegreeJohnny WinterCo-production with Winter
1987Hot WiresRoy BuchananCo-production with Justin Niebank, Iglauer and Buchanan
1991The TouchJohnny HeartsmanCo-production with Iglauer
1991Let Me InJohnny WinterCo-production with Winter; backing vocalist
1992Hey, Where's Your Brother?Johnny WinterCo-production with Winter
1997His BestSonny Boy Williamson IICompiler and liner notes with Andy McKaie
1998Rough NewsCharlie MusselwhiteProducer and backing vocalist
1998Live in NYC '97Johnny WinterProducer
1998Black TornadoMagic SlimProducer
2000SnakebiteMagic SlimProducer
2000Once Upon the BluesLarry GarnerProducer and backing vocalist
2001Ramblin' MindBig Bill MorganfieldProducer
2002Return of a LegendJody WilliamsProducer
2004I'm a BluesmanJohnny WinterCo-production with Tom Hambridge and Winter
2009Chicago Blues BuddiesLittle Smokey SmothersProducer, photography and liner notes
2012Spider Eating PreacherEddie C. CampbellProducer
2013Blues in my SoulLurrie BellProducer and liner notes

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