'Queen of the Blues' Koko Taylor's possessions sold at Chicago flea market
A trove of items belonging to Chicago blues legend Koko Taylor surfaced unexpectedly at a flea market, selling for minimal prices after a junk dealer purchased the contents of her storage locker in Orland Park.
Ben Lewis stumbled upon the collection while browsing through photographs, greeting cards, and business papers at a booth in the Back of the Yards. He experienced what he described as “a deer in the headlights moment” upon realizing that every item was connected to Koko Taylor.
“Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylor — widely regarded as the greatest female blues singer of her generation — was suddenly represented by her life's artifacts spread across folding tables and plastic bins.
Among the items were photos of Taylor with President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant, James Brown, Eric Clapton, and “Blues Brothers” actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. There were also signed photographs from Bonnie Raitt, who noted, “So great to be on the same show finally!!”, as well as greetings from Etta James and the rock band Styx.
Other notable possessions included Handy Awards for Blues Entertainer of the Year and Best Blues Vocalist of the Year, along with dozens of handwritten song lyrics, including those from her 2013 piece “Ernestine,” and personal Christmas cards.
Author's Summary
A forgotten storage unit revealed Koko Taylor’s priceless personal treasures, which shockingly ended up for sale at a Chicago flea market after years in obscurity.