Alvin Youngblood Hart (born Gregory Edward Hart; March 2, 1963) is an American musician. Career Hart was born in Oakland, California, and spent some time in Carroll County, Mississippi, in his youth, where he was influenced by the Mississippi country blues performed by his relatives. Hart is known as one of the world's foremost practitioners of country blues. He is also known as a faithful torchbearer for 1960s and 1970s guitar rock, as well as western swing and traditional country. His style has been compared to Lead Belly and Spade Cooley. Bluesman Taj Mahal once said about Hart: "The boy has got thunder in his hands." Hart himself said, "I guess my big break came when I opened for Taj Mahal for four nights at Yoshi's." His debut album, Big Mama's Door, was released in 1996 on Okeh Records. In 2003, Hart's album Down in the Alley was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. Albums Big Mama's Door (1996) Territory (1998) Start With The Soul (2000) Down In The Alley (2002) Motivational Speaker (2005) Awards W.C. Handy Award for best new artist – 1997 Down Beat magazine award for best blues album of the year for Territory, 1999 Grammy Award in 2005 for producing and contribution to the compilation album, Beautiful Dreamer See also List of blues mandolinists References External links Alvin Youngblood Hart 1963 births American blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues singers American male singers Living people Slide guitarists Musicians from Oakland, California Contemporary blues musicians Grammy Award winners Singers from California American blues mandolinists Guitarists from California 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians