A blues survivor silenced: Pinetop Perkins, one of the last old-school bluesmen who carried the torch from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago and beyond, passed away March 21 at his home in Austin, Texas. Perkins, 97, was best known for his stint playing piano in Muddy Waters' band, but in a career spanning eight decades he traced a long path, from juke joints and bars to festivals and concerts. Along the way, he played with Sonny Boy Williamson, and backed Ike Turner before joining Waters' band in 1969, when Waters was enjoying renewed acclaim and success. Perkins did not begin recording as a leader until he reached his 70s, but he proved prolific, releasing 15 albums, and this year he became the oldest artist to win a Grammy, his third.