|
|
||||
|
During the first 10 years, the preferred style of musical entertainment at the Pig was blues, more blues and strictly blues. The club was a premier showcase for local blues artists from Ann Arbor, Detroit and Chicago. Legends such as Koko Tayler, Boogie Woogie Red, Hound Dog Taylor and Roosevelt Sikes, among others, were regulars there.
Clientele at the Pig ranged from University intelligentsia to older, hardcore blues enthusiasts. The establishment accumulated a diverse variety of regular patrons, often packing the tightly confined space to capacity. A handful of musical legends in their own right, including Frank Zappa, Bonnie Raitt and Vladmir Horowitz were said to have been spotted in the crowd at Pig functions.
The thriving blues scene at the Pig in the '70s inspired Delgiudice to take things one step further and start his own record label under the moniker of Blind Pig records in 1975. Many of the same artists that performed regularly at the Pig released material on the independent label. Still owned by Delgiudice and now based in Chicago, the label remains intact and continues to release records by a variety of area blues musicians.
