Hip Linkchain
Hip Linkchain was born on 10/11/1936 in Jackson, Mississippi. His birth name was Willie Richard. He was raised in Louise, Mississippi and picked cotton. His father had the nickname Linkchain, which was because he used to wear logging chains around his neck. Willie was nicknamed Hipstick as a child. The two nicknames would be later used as his stage name. He would be inspired by blues artists that he saw in the Mississippi Delta such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Elmore James and Little Milton.In 1954, Linkchain moved to Chicago, Illinois. In the 1950s and 1960, he would regularly get work playing blues guitar in the Chicago clubs. He would work with harmonica players such as Lester Davenport, Dusty Brown, and Little Willy Foster.
By 1959, Linkchain had formed his own band called the Chicago Twisters. The band had Tyrone Davis as its frontman.
Linkchain recorded on and off for small independent record labels in Chicago. He released a few singles in the 1960s.
In 1983, he released his debut album "Change My Blues" for Teardrop Records. It included Pinetop Perkins on piano, Rich Kirch on guitar, Right Hand Frank Bandy on bass and Fred Grady on drums.
In 1988, he released his best-known album "Airbusters" for the Netherlands label Black Magic.
On 13/02/1989, Linkchain died of cancer in Chicago, Illinois.