Rising blues star from Elgin dies at 33
Editor's note: this article was updated to correct Gina McClain's name.
Singer and guitarist Mike Ledbetter of Elgin, a rising star in the international blues scene, died Monday, and friends and colleagues have shown an outpouring of support for his partner and two small children.
Ledbetter, 33, died at home in Elgin after a medical emergency, his friend and manager Gina McClain said. He was one half of the Welch-Ledbetter Connection, formed after Ledbetter and Mike Welch performed together at an Otis Rush tribute show at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2016.
The band quickly made a name for itself by playing at well-known blues festivals in California, Norway and Switzerland in the first six months, McClain said. In the past year, they played in Russia, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Norway. Their first record, "Right Place, Right Time," got the award for best traditional blues album at the 2018 Blues Music Awards.
"I say he was the best thing that happened to blues in 50 years," McClain said. "He was so passionate about the music and he had such a beautiful voice ... something we haven't heard in blues in a very long time."
Friend and musician Dan Carelli of Chicago set up a GoFundMe for Ledbetter's partner, Kathy Cahoon, and their two children, Holland, 4, and Michael, whose first birthday party was scheduled for Sunday. The family had just moved into their own place in Elgin, Carelli said.
The initial GoFundMe goal was $10,000; donations came in so quickly that Carelli increased it to $25,000 and then to $30,000 on Thursday.
Carelli said he and Ledbetter played a gig together in Chicago the day before he died; Ledbetter spent the night at Carelli's and in the morning got a ride from him to the Metra station to return to Elgin. "On stage, he was unstoppable," Carelli said. "It's surreal."
Ledbetter was raised in Elgin, graduated from Elgin High School and took classes at Elgin Community College.
He was classically trained in opera and joined the Nick Moss Band as a backup singer, then became its lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player.
Ledbetter had a deep respect for traditional blues and musicians like Otis Rush and Hound Dog Taylor, and liked "the grittiest, most straightforward version of the music ... the most gutbucket music that he could find," Carelli said.
He had a special way of connecting with people, Carelli said. "Everybody who knew him felt like a close friend. He was able to make them feel that way."
Ledbetter was a wonderful father and had stopped touring aggressively to focus on blues festivals and local shows to spend time with his family, McClain said.
People in Chicago and across the country are planning tribute shows to help his family, McClain said. "I honestly felt like he was going to change the world with his voice," she said. "Everything that has happened over the past two years has indicated that."
Ledbetter was especially dedicated to getting young people to embrace the blues, McClain said.
"He wanted to open it to the world," she said.
Visitation for Ledbetter is 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday at Symonds-Madison Funeral Home, 305 Park Street, Elgin. The funeral will be at noon Wednesday, location details pending. Check symondsmadisonfuneralhome.com for updates.