Bluesman Robert Belfour passes Feb. 25

Bluesman Robert “Wolfman” Belfour, well-known internationally for his North Mississippi Hill Country style of music, died at his home in Memphis Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, following a long illness. He was 74.

  Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday, March 7, at Mt. Newell Church in Red Banks, near Holly Springs. Visitation will take place from 11 a.m. until the service. The Memphis Blues  Society has organized a fund for funeral expenses.  

  Born in Holly Springs where he learned to play guitar from his father, Belfour, was influenced also by area blues musicians: Junior Kimbrough, R. L. Burnside, and Othar Turner

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   Moving to Memphis where he worked as a truck driver and in construction, his professional career as a vocalist/guitarist began relatively late but was quickly recognized for its “purist” qualities.

   For many years he was a popular attraction on the acoustic stage of the Sunflower River Blues Festival and other venues in the Mid-South and Europe. He performed often also at Red’s Blues Club in Clarksdale, and recorded with Fat Possum Records.

Robert ‘Wolfman’ Belfour

Photo by Panny Mayfield