Farewell to Manuel Arrington, Entertainer Extraordinaire

I'd like to say a few words of remembrance for Manuel Arrington, a Chicago MC, singer, and comedian who passed away in April, a week before his 64th birthday.

Born in Mississippi, Arrington was a familiar face and voice in Chicago blues clubs. He MC'ed at Pepper's Lounge, joined the legendary Herb "The Cool Gent" Kent on WVON, and worked with such blues luminaries as Johnny Taylor, Tyrone Davis, Otis Clay, and B.B. King.

If that's not enough, he was a friend to everyone and a true gentleman. When I was researching at the Genesis Lounge in Country Club Hills for Today's Chicago Blues, Manual took time to sit and talk with me about the old days in Chicago blues and introduced me to many people there, including Phil Guy.

The concept of the MC is an honored tradition in African American blues culture, and nobody did it quite like Manual. He sang, told jokes, interacted with the crowd, and made sure everybody had a good time. He will be missed.