Shields, Lonnie

Shields, Lonnie 17 April 1956; West Helena, AR Lonnie Shields spent his early singing years in gospel and soul music but was drawn into the blues by drummer Sam Carr, who lived across the Mississippi River from Shields in Lula, Mississippi. Carr and his partners in the Jelly Roll Kings —Big Jack Johnson and Frank Frost—mentored the young Shields, and in 1986 Shields played at the inaugural King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, where he has also appeared many times since. He combines elements…