Chicago blues legend Koko Taylor died Wednesday afternoon at the age of 80. She had been recovering from surgery to repair gastrointestinal bleeding, which was performed in mid-May.

Who says Washington, D.C. isn't a blues town? For more than 30 years, Washington's premier blues band, The Nighthawks, has given the nation's capital a reputation as a thriving blues capital. From The Nighthawks came singer and guitarist Jimmy Thackery, who has made a name for himself outside the band and well-beyond the city limits.