DES MOINES, IOWA — This year’s Iowa Blues Hall of Fame Induction Celebration honored the late Cedar Falls blues guitarist and vocalist Eddie Bowles (1884-1984). Bowles’s recognition occurred alongside the induction of Cedar Valley blues musician Turk E. Krause at an event that featured a performance by Bob Dorr & Friends. Dorr is a previous IBHF inductee.
In an event at the River Center in Des Moines, the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame, recognized “Bowles’s legacy and posthumous induction into the Hall of Fame highlight the enduring impact of his skills and dedication to the blues.”
Eddie Bowles first came to Cedar Falls in 1914 in search of work, and he remained in the city for the rest of his life. He worked many jobs, including as street paver, tree trimmer, railroad foreman, and foundry worker. He also played blues guitar in a classic and distinct picking fingerstyle. During the Blues Revival of the 1960s, he influenced a generation of Iowa musicians, including Class of 2023 Iowa Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Rush Cleveland. Cleveland says of Eddie Bowles, “Eddie was good to every player I took to his place. He had heart, it must be said.” The album Best of Eddie Bowles was released in 2022 by Final Thursday Press.
Jim O’Loughlin, publisher of Final Thursday Press, nominated Bowles and was in attendance to accept the award on Bowles’s behalf. “The story of Eddie Bowles’s life and music is an important part of Iowa’s cultural heritage,” O’Loughlin said. “I hope that this recognition will make it possible for more people to become acquainted with Eddie Bowles.”
Best of Eddie Bowles is available on major streaming platforms and can be listened to for free at eddiebowles.hearnow.com. A digital EP of additional Eddie Bowles music is slated for release later this year.