Birdlegg

Eugene "Birdlegg" Pittman, born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1947 has been blowing the blues - which he learned from his Georgia-born grandfather in the Oakland Bay Area - for nearly 30 years. Once the blues took hold of Birdlegg they never let go, "All other forms of music, I had to learn to love, but with the blues, there was no trying at all, I just loved it" he said. Influenced by Sonny Terry, Birdlegg picked up the harmonica in his early 20s, and grateful to icons Haskell "Cool Papa" Sadler with whom he toured with for over 10 years, and Massala Talbert, Birdlegg was driven to play and preserve traditional blues. He formed his first Tight Fit Blues Band in 1980. Birdlegg’s harp playing and vocals, recall an almost lost time in harp and blues history. "I'm so fortunate to have something no one can take from you. They can take your money, your wife, your kids. But they can't take the music. It's yours." Birdlegg lives in Austin, Texas where he continues to perform.