R.I.P.: Koko Taylor

Here’s to the Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor.

She died June 3 due to complications of surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding. She was 80.

Taylor was a fiery spirit. Her breakthrough hit was “Wang Dang Doodle,” back in 1965.

A Grammy Award winner, a Blues Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award winner and a Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Taylor was born Cora Walton in Shelby County, Tenn.

She performed for several U.S. presidents including George H.W Bush and Bill Clinton, and at one point, Taylor was even a backup singer for Led Zeppelin.

Taylor performed in Salt Lake City many times throughout her career, the latest time being at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheater in 2006.

I first saw her in 2002 at the Snowbird Jazz and Blues Festival. What power, confidence and charisma.

And I was immediately charmed by Taylor’s sassy personality and straightforward answers during an interview with her a few weeks before her appearance.

“Singing the blues is like a marriage. You do it for better or for worse, and I’m going to continue to try to make people all over the world happy with my music,” she said at that time.

And now, she’s making the angels happy.