CHICAGO, April 13 (UPI) -- Mississippi-born blues guitar great Jimmy "Fast Fingers" Dawkins, who took Chicago's West Side sound around the world, has died, an associate said. He was 76.
Dawkins died Wednesday at his Chicago home, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday. The cause of death wasn't reported.
Dawkins cut 21 albums over five decades, the last one, "Tell Me Baby," came out in 2004, World Entertainment News Network said. He also ran a record label, Leric.
The Sun-Times noted Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughn were among the big-name guitarists who admired Dawkins' guitar skills, which enthusiastic audiences in such far-flung reaches of the world as Japan, France, Switzerland and Macedonia, the newspaper said.
Dawkins didn't much care for his "Fast Fingers" moniker, the Sun-Times said.
"I can play slow," Bob Koester, owner of Delmark records who announced the guitarist's passing, recalled Dawkins would say.
