Billy Branch Rewrites the Story of Chicago Blues With The Blues Is My Biography

Billy Branch has spent five decades shaping the sound of modern Chicago blues — now he’s finally telling the story in his own voice. With The Blues Is My Biography, the highly anticipated new album dropping November 7th via Rosa’s Lounge Records, the legendary harmonica master delivers a raw, urgent, soul-deep testament to the life he’s lived and the genre he’s helped sustain.

The title isn’t metaphor. It’s mission.

Produced by the esteemed Larry Batiste, the album is stacked with heavyweight collaborations. Bobby Rush brings thunder on “Hole In Your Soul,” trading vocals and harmonica with Branch in a way only two blues titans can. Shemekia Copeland’s powerhouse vocals transform “Begging For Change” into a spiritual reckoning. And anchoring it all is Branch’s longtime band, The Sons of Blues — a group whose chemistry hits like a heartbeat, steady and unmistakably Chicago.

But before the Hall of Fame inductions, Emmy wins, Grammy nominations, and Blues Music Awards, Branch was just a kid with a harmonica and a city that refused to let him go. His journey started at 10 years old, thrown headfirst into the electric tapestry of Chicago’s blues clubs. Mentored by giants like James Cotton and Willie Dixon, he learned early that blues wasn’t just music — it was inheritance.

His breakout came in 1975, when he joined the Willie Dixon Chicago Blues All-Stars. Seven relentless years on the road, shoulder-to-shoulder with legends, forged him into a force. And he’s been expanding the boundaries of the genre ever since — not only as a performer but as a devoted educator and advocate, ensuring the blues is taught, preserved, and lived by future generations.

In our conversation, Branch reflects on the evolution of the music industry, the rebirth of blues among young listeners, and the community that keeps the genre alive. His passion is as undeniable as his tone: gritty, warm, and unmistakably Chicago. The Blues Is My Biography is more than an album — it’s a cultural document, a love letter, and a roadmap for where the blues goes next.

Check out the upcoming show at Rosa’s Lounge.

For more Stories From The 78, follow @tombarnas78 on Instagram and @storiesfromthe78 on TikTok.