Biography · Business & Enterprise
Theresa Needham
1912–1992
United States
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Biography
Theresa McLaurin Needham (April 17, 1912 – October 16, 1992) was an American tavern owner who became known as "the Godmother of the Chicago blues". She was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001. Born Theresa McLaurin in Meridian, Mississippi, she was raised Catholic, married Robert Needham and moved to Chicago in the 1940s.
Sources & collection details
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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13