Benjamin Joe "Bennie" Houston (November 6, 1943 – July 11, 1993),[1] known by his stage name of Boston Blackie, was an American Chicago blues guitarist, singer, and bandleader.
[3] The band broke up following the death of his brother Nathanial, and Houston – briefly taking the stage name Dog Man – worked various gigs as he honed his craft in the 1960s and 1970s.
He backed Johnny B. Moore and Lee "Shot" Williams at the Majestic Lounge, Little Milton at Pepper's Lounge, and played at various times with Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Freddie King, Kansas City Red, Hubert Sumlin, Homesick James, Jimmy Dawkins, Little Walter, and Eddie Shaw.
[3] His stage name is based on fictional pulp noir hero Boston Blackie; Houston was also exceptionally dark-skinned, given to playfully challenging the audience to send up a blacker person, a game he never lost.
[3] Houston developed an aggressive,[1] raw, and hard-edged[3] style, informed by the work of Magic Sam, Otis Rush,[1] Elmore James, Little Milton, and Bobby Blue Bland.