Luther Allison; Blues Singer Influenced Rock

Luther Allison, 57, singer and guitarist whose blues influenced rock ‘n’ roll. Allison had been named entertainer of the year in May for the second year in a row at the W.C. Handy Blues Awards by the nonprofit Blues Foundation. He also won for best male contemporary blues artist, and Luther Allison & the James Solberg Band collected the prize for blues band of the year. His most recent albums were “Blue Streak” and “Reckless.” A native of Mayflower, Ark., Luther started singing with a family gospel group. Based in Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s, he worked with his own band and then Jimmy Dawkins and Freddie King. He became well known in the Midwest and gained popularity in the 1970s on the West Coast, performing at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. When blues waned in the United States, Allison moved to Paris and worked in Europe. He revived his American career in 1994 by signing with Alligator records. His recent North American tour included appearances at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Beale Street Music Festival and the Monterey Bay Blues Festival. On Tuesday in Madison, Wis., after a bout with lung cancer.