Leo "Bud" Welch, a blues and gospel virtuoso, was born in 1932 in Calhoun County, Mississippi. With a natural talent for music, he began performing at the tender age of 15 in 1947. His impressive skills earned him praise and blessings from elder guitar players, and he even received an audition offer from the legendary BB King. However, he couldn't afford the trip to Memphis, and his music career stalled.
For the next 30 years, Welch worked as a lumberjack to make ends meet, putting his musical ambitions on hold. But he never lost his passion for the blues, and in 1975, he made the transition to gospel music. Despite his dedication to his craft, his musicianship didn't bring in a steady income, and he continued to work as a lumberjack.
It wasn't until he was 82 years old in 2014 that Welch's music career took off. His album "Sabougla Voices" was released by Big Legal Mess Records, followed by his studio album "I Don't Prefer No Blues" in 2015. The Austrian filmmakers Wolfgang Pfoser-Almer and Stefan Wolner documented Welch's life and music, premiering their documentary "Late Blossom Blues" at the Clarksdale Film Festival in 2017.
Tragically, Welch passed away on December 19, 2017, at the age of 85. His legacy lives on, and his music continues to inspire new generations of blues and gospel fans.
