Harry "Cuby" Muskee was the singer of the blues band Cuby + Blizzards, which he co-founded with Eelco Gelling.
Background
Muskee was born in Assen, and died in Rolde aged 70. Muskee was born in the Wilhelmina Hospital in Assen. Early on, he lived with his mother at his grandmother"s place, because his father was captured and transported to Germany.
Only after the war – when he was four years old – he saw his father for the first time.
His mother suffered from multiple sclerosis and could not properly care for her child.
Career
The family moved to Rotterdam, but returned to Assen after two years. At high school he came into contact with jazz and Dixieland music Together with the brothers Henk and Jaap Hilbrandie he founded the band The Mixtures.
From this band emerged later on the "Old Fashioned Jazz Group".
This band mostly played at school dances in Assen. Through listening to the American Forces Network radio station – for United States. soldiers stationed in Germany – Muskee came into contact with blues music
When he discovered the album Live at Newport by John Lee Hooker, he decided that he also wanted to make this kind of music Shortly afterwards, Muskee broke through with The Blizzards.
After the breakup of Cuby + Blizzards – in 1972 – he toured around with formations like Red White "n Blue, the Harry Muskee Band, the Muskee Gang and Muskee.
Ultimately, the original name Cuby + Blizzards proved to be the most catchy and under this name, assisted by the Groningen guitarist Erwin Java, Muskee toured for many years around the world. In addition, he presented music programs on Radio Drenthe. Foreign the same channel, he made a study tour through the southern states of the United States in search of the roots of the blues.
A statue of Harry Muskee was placed in Grolloo, in 1997.
Muskee died in Rolde on 26 September 2011 of cancer.
Membership
At the age of ten Muskee became a member of the soccer club Achilles 1894 and at fifteen he went for his first guitar lessons.