Sending a birthday shout-out to one of the fathers of British blues, Alexis Korner. He brought many artists to Britain to perform in the nightclubs from the '50s to the '70s. He also had slots on radio & TV to help bring American blues records and artists to the general public. But perhaps more importantly, he led bands that served as a school for young British blues-rockers.
He played guitar, piano and mandolin with several ensembles from the '40s and formed Blues Incorporated in '61. Membership in that collective group included a who's-who of great British soon-to-be rockers (and jazzers), including several future members of the Rolling Stones, Cream & Led Zeppelin not to mention the likes of John Mayall, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Rod Stewart, Graham Bond, Danny Thompson, Lol Coxhill, John Surman, Georgie Fame, Dave Holland, Paul Rodgers, Harry Beckett, Peter Frampton, Herbie Flowers and more. As such, he was long considered the elder statesman of the blues across the pond.