Delbert McClinton (b. 1940) is a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter from Lubbock, Texas.
As a teenager, McClinton began his music career leading the band, The Straitjackets, who performed at Jack’s Club in Ft. Worth, Texas. McClinton would go on to help pioneer the Texas music scene, backing legendary blues musicians such as Jimmy Reed, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and his mentor, Sonny Boy Williamson. Despite issues of failing record companies, he released several popular songs in the mid-1970s, including “Victim of Life’s Circumstances,” “Genuine Cowhide,” “Givin’ It Up For Love,” and “Shotgun Rider.” His songs have since been rerecorded and popularized by artists like Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, and he recorded a duo Bonnie Raitt which earned him his first Grammy award in 1992. In 2019, McClinton released Tall, Dark & Handsome, which earned him the Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. He has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association and was dubbed the “Godfather of Americana Music” by Rolling Stone.
Delbert McClinton was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in 2001.
