Paul Oscher
Paul Allan Oscher (February 26, 1947 – April 18, 2021) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Primarily a harmonica player, he was the first permanent white member of Muddy Waters' band.
Paul Oscher
- Name
- Paul Oscher
- Birth Name
- Paul Allan Oscher
- Born
- 26 February 1947
- Birthplace
- New York City, U.S.
- Died
- 18 April 2021
- Place of death
- Austin, Texas, U.S.
- Occupation
- Musician
- Full name
- Paul Allan Oscher.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Fields
- blues and singing.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q2061560 · wikipedia · Paul Oscher
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The documentary record
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Institutions cited
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Paul Oscher • Birth Name — Paul Allan Oscher • Born — 26 February 1947 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Died — 18 April 2021 • Place of death — Austin, Texas, U.S. • Genre — Blues • Occupation — Musician • Instrument — * Harmonica • guitar • piano • vocals • Years Active — 1962–2021 • Website — https: www.pauloscher.com/
Documentary record
Paul Oscher appears in the authority records of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek as a musician (1950 – 2021). The birth of Paul Oscher is recorded in 1950, and the death in 2021.
Early life
Early life
Oscher was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He began playing harmonica at the age of 12, and began playing professionally at 15 with Little Jimmy Mae. He named John Lee Williamson as a major influence.
Career
Career
Oscher met Muddy Waters in the mid-1960s. After Big Walter Horton failed to show up for a gig, Oscher played harmonica as a member of the Muddy Waters Blues Band from 1967 until 1972. He was the first white musician in Muddy's band, and lived in Muddy's house on Chicago's South Side, where Oscher shared the basement with the blues pianist Otis Spann. Oscher recorded with Muddy for Chess Records. After performing solo for a time in New York as "Brooklyn Slim", he toured Europe in 1976 with Louisiana Red. They both appeared at the WDR-TV music show, Rockpalast. During the 1990s, Oscher worked as a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, guitar and harmonica, sometimes as a one-man band. He recorded an album in 1995, The Deep Blues of Paul Oscher. In 1999, he played with Big Bill Morganfield on his debut album, Rising Son. In 2003, Oscher was featured on harmonica, guitar and vocals on Hubert Sumlin's album, About Them Shoes, along with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Levon Helm. In 2006, Oscher collaborated with Mos Def and recorded the song, "Bed Stuy Parade and Funeral March", on Mos Def's album, The New Danger. In 2008, he recorded with Keb' Mo' on the soundtrack of a film about the blues, Who Do You Love?.
Personal life and death
Personal life and death
Oscher was married to the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Suzan-Lori Parks, from 2001 to 2011. He died on April 18, 2021, in Austin, his home city for the last years of his life, after several weeks hospitalized with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas. He was 74.
Discography
As a solo artist • Knockin' On The Devil's Door (Viceroots, 1996) • The Deep Blues Of Paul Oscher (Blues Planet, 1996) • Living Legends Deep In The Blues (Blues Leaf, 2000) • Alone With The Blues (Electro-Fi, 2004) • Down In The Delta (Blues Fidelity, 2005) • Bet On The Blues (Blues Fidelity, 2010) • Cool Cat (Blues Fidelity, 2018) With Muddy Waters • After the Rain (Chess, 1969) • Live at Mr. Kelly's (Chess, 1971) • "Unk" in Funk (Chess, 1974)
Awards
2006: Blues Music Awards: • "Acoustic Artist of the Year" • "Acoustic Album of the Year" 2000: LA Music Awards • "Best Performance by Blues Musician"
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Paul Oscher, revision 1308735067 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 24 August 2026.
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