In many ways, Jimmy Reed epitomized the classic Chicago bluesman, yet his pure, inventive playing and distinctive singing always stood out. He recorded numerous Top 20 hit singles with VeeJay Records, and he influenced many musicians who would explode in the ‘60s, including Eric Clapton, the Grateful Dead and others. (Keith Richards and Brian Jones even studied Reed's “weaving” guitar style to reproduce it for The Rolling Stones.) Though he died at age 51 from epilepsy complicated by alcoholism, Reed left an enduring legacy, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.