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Eric Bibb

Photo: Nicolas Esposito (CC BY 2.0)

Modern

Eric Bibb

• Sweden• Active: 1972–present

Acoustic BluesFolk BluesDelta Blues

American folk royalty (father Leon Bibb, godfather Paul Robeson) who settled in Stockholm and became one of the world's most Grammy-nominated acoustic blues artists, spanning 50+ albums from "Good Stuff" (1997) to "Ridin'" (2023).

Eric Bibb was born into American folk royalty on 16 August 1951 in New York City — his father Leon Bibb was a prominent musical-theatre singer on the 1960s New York folk scene, his uncle was Modern Jazz Quartet pianist John Lewis, and his godfather was Paul Robeson. Pete Seeger was a family friend. Bibb got his first steel-string guitar at eight, met a young Bob Dylan as a child (who told him to "keep it simple, forget all that fancy stuff"), and by 16 was playing guitar in the house band of his father's television talent show (Kilde: Wikipedia). After briefly studying psychology and Russian at Columbia University, Bibb moved to Paris at 19, where guitarist Mickey Baker introduced him to blues guitar technique. He eventually settled in Stockholm, immersing himself in pre-war acoustic blues and world music traditions — a move that would define the rest of his career and, decades later, earn him a place on this site as one of Sweden's most important resident blues artists, even though his roots remain unmistakably American (Kilde: Wikipedia). His Stockholm-based recordings began with "Good Stuff" (1997, Opus 3/Earthbeat) and "Me to You" (Code Blue), the latter featuring Pops and Mavis Staples and Taj Mahal. Through his own Manhaton Records he released "Home to Me" (1999), "Roadworks" (2000) and "Painting Signs" (2001), and in 2002 recorded "A Family Affair" with his father. His years on Telarc International (2004–2011) produced some of his most acclaimed work: "Friends" (2004), "A Ship Called Love" (2005), "Diamond Days" (2007), "Spirit I Am" (2008), and "Booker's Guitar" (2010), a tribute to Delta bluesman Bukka White (Kilde: Wikipedia). Bibb signed to Stony Plain Records in 2011 and to Provogue Records in 2021, releasing "Dear America" (2021, featuring Eric Gales and Ron Carter) and "Ridin'" (2023), which reached the Top 10 of the blues charts. His album "One Mississippi" is slated for release on Repute Records in 2026. Across more than 50 albums, Bibb has earned three Grammy nominations — for "Shakin' a Tailfeather" (1997), "Migration Blues" (2017) and "Ridin'" (2023) — and Blues Music Awards for Acoustic Artist of the Year (2012, 2013) and Acoustic Album of the Year for "The Happiest Man in the World" (2017), his collaboration with British bassist Danny Thompson. His long list of collaborators includes Taj Mahal, Odetta, Charlie Musselwhite, Guy Davis and Mamadou Diabaté (Kilde: Wikipedia; Blues Music Awards).

Musical Influence

Bibb's decades in Stockholm make him a genuine bridge figure between American acoustic blues tradition and the Swedish/European blues scene — a resident ambassador whose Grammy-nominated catalog has shaped how a generation of European acoustic blues players approach the genre. (Kilde: Wikipedia)

Influences

OdettaJosh WhiteBukka WhiteMickey Baker

Formative experiences

•1959: Receives his first steel-string guitar at age eight. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•1969: Performs for the Negro Ensemble Company in New York. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•1970: Moves to Paris at 19; learns blues guitar technique from Mickey Baker. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•Relocates to Stockholm, immersing himself in pre-war acoustic blues. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•1997: Releases "Good Stuff" on Opus 3/Earthbeat, his Stockholm-era breakthrough. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•2004–2011: Telarc International years produce "Friends," "Diamond Days," "Spirit I Am" and "Booker's Guitar." (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•2017: "The Happiest Man in the World" with Danny Thompson wins Blues Music Award for Acoustic Album of the Year. (Kilde: Blues Music Awards)
•2023: "Ridin'" reaches Top 10 of the blues charts and earns a Grammy nomination. (Kilde: Wikipedia)

Instruments & Equipment

Guitar

Acoustic steel-string guitar

His core instrument since age eight; central to his acoustic-blues identity.

Vocals

Vocals

Warm, folk-inflected vocal style rooted in his musical-theatre and folk upbringing.

Stories & Anecdotes

"As a child, Bibb met a young Bob Dylan, who gave him career-defining advice: "Keep it simple, forget all that fancy stuff." (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"Bibb's godfather was actor, singer and civil-rights activist Paul Robeson — a connection reflecting how deeply embedded his family was in mid-century Black American cultural and political life. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"Despite being American-born and raised, Bibb has spent so much of his career based in Sweden that he is now widely regarded there as a resident artist and cultural fixture of the Swedish blues scene. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

Collaborators

Longtime collaborator across multiple recordings.

Mavis & Pops Staples

Featured on "Me to You" (Code Blue).

British bassist; collaborated on "The Happiest Man in the World" (2016), winner of a Blues Music Award.

His father; collaborated on "A Family Affair" (2002).

Charlie Musselwhite

Frequent collaborator.

Frequent collaborator.

Watch & Listen

Featured

Eric Bibb & Cyndee Peters — Lead Me, Guide Me

Hans van der Linden

Eric Bibb — In My Father's House

Eric Bibb — In My Father's House

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Discography

Year	Title	Producer	Studio	Label	Chart	Sales	Musicians	YouTube	Notes
1997	Good Stuff	—	—	Opus 3 / Earthbeat	—	—	—		Stockholm-era breakthrough album.
2004	Friends	—	—	Telarc International	—	—	—		First of the acclaimed Telarc-era albums.
2008	Spirit I Am	—	—	Telarc International	—	—	—		Contains "In My Father's House."
2010	Booker's Guitar	—	—	Telarc International	—	—	—		A tribute to Delta blues guitarist Bukka White.
2017	The Happiest Man in the World	—	—	—	—	—	Danny Thompson (Double bass)		Collaboration with British bassist Danny Thompson; won Blues Music Award for Acoustic Album of the Year.
2021	Dear America	—	—	Provogue Records	—	—	Eric Gales (Guitar (guest)), Ron Carter (Bass (guest))		Features Eric Gales and Ron Carter.
2023	Ridin'	—	—	Provogue Records	—	—	—		Reached Top 10 of the blues charts; Grammy-nominated.

Famous songs

01In My Father's House

02Booker's Guitar

03Ridin'

Booking / Contact

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Sources

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