The Legendary Big Walter Smith & the Groove Merchant Band

Big Walter Smith is Minnesota’s most honored and recognized bluesman. Minneapolis "Big Man of the Blues" has been a fixture on the Upper Midwest’s music scene for the past 37 years. His 300-pound presence and velveteen voice have graced nearly every blues and R&B stage in the Twin Cities, as well as the finest concert halls, casinos and festivals.

Big Walter has been a mainstay at the Bayfront Blues Fest in Duluth, the only artist to have performed there every year of the festival since it started in 1989. He is so popular in Duluth that the mayor proclaimed August 8, 1997, to be "Big Walter Smith Day" in the city. There’s hardly a Minnesota music award that hasn't been bestowed on Big Walter Smith both individually and with his band.