Biography

Shawn Holt is the son of legendary blues master, Magic Slim. Shawn started playing the blues at the age of 17, when he went on the road with his father and Slim's brother, uncle Nick Holt and the Teardrops.
Shortly after that tour with his father, Shawn realized his genetic destiny (all the Holts are talented musicians) and formed his own band. He has been watching, learning and playing blues ever since.

Magic Slim & the Teardrops have probably been nominated for the WC Handy "Blues Band of the Year" award more times than any blues band playing today - including eight times in the last 10 years. You can't become a Teardrop until Magic Slim says you're good enough. Shawn Holt became a Teardrop this year and when his father was hospitalized during a recent east coast tour, he stepped up to the microphone and continued the tradition.

When Shawn Holt & the Teardrops opened for Johnny Winter in Phoenixville Pennsylvania, two hours after Slim had been admitted to the local hospital, they received a standing ovation. Johnny insisted that Shawn and the Teardrops complete the tour as his opening act.

The high energy, hard-driving sound of the Teardrops is still alive and well and if you like what Magic Slim and the Teardrops have been doing for the last 35 years, you can continue to enjoy that unique sound and energy with Shawn Holt, a chip off the old block, fronting his old man's band.

After over twenty years and ten releases as Magic Slim's label, Blind Pig Records is very proud to announce the debut recording by Shawn Holt & the Teardrops, "Daddy Told Me." Shawn's booming vocal presence is more than a little reminiscent of his father's, and his guitar playing while similar to Slim's exhibits a broader mix of classic and contemporary influences. Combining a couple of his Dad's songs and other songs associated with him with five of his own originals, Shawn shows himself more than capable of leading the Teardrops into a new era. On two songs, the band is joined by John Primer, a former Teardrop and now a blues luminary in his own right.

The blues world mourned the passing of Magic Slim this past spring, and now the fall is bringing a new recording showcasing the passing of the torch from one generation to the next, "Daddy Told Me."

"One of the most prodigious lineups of local blues stars in recent memory gathered March 28, 2013 to pay tribute to their departed friend Magic Slim. "A Night For Magic" commenced in true torch-passing fashion with Slim's guitar-wielding son, Shawn Holt, leading a second-generation lineup of Teardrops that proved conclusively he has what it takes to maintain the family legacy. Clearly, Shawn picked up plenty from his treetop-tall father; the roiling shuffle "It's Alright" and an easy-surging treatment of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help Me" were loaded with biting guitar from the Les Paul-wielding Holt, also an effective vocalist over drummer B.J. Jones' pounding backbeat." - Bill Dahl, Chicago Blues Guide