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Doctor Ross, born Charles Isaiah Ross on October 21, 1925, in Tunica, Mississippi, was an influential American blues musician known as Doctor Ross the Harmonica Boss. He was a singer, guitarist, harmonica player, and drummer, whose style has been compared to that of John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson. A blues-man of Cherokee origin, Ross began learning drums and harmonica at the age of nine and made his public debut in 1938. After serving in the military during World War II, where he utilized his ancestral medical knowledge, he adopted the title "Doctor" and formed his own band, performing throughout the Delta and on various radio stations. He was among the first blues musicians to record for Sun Records in the 1950s, with notable tracks like "The Boogie Disease" and "Chicago Breakdown." His records gained airplay in Mississippi and Arkansas starting in 1951, and he also recorded with Chess Records, incorporating folk instruments like the washboard. In 1954, Ross relocated to the Detroit area, where he worked for General Motors while continuing to record singles with Fortune Records, including "Cat Squirrel" and "Industrial Boogie." He toured with the American Folk Blues Festival in Europe in 1965 and recorded an album for Blue Horizon Records while in London. Despite his popularity in Europe, he remained less known in his home country. Ross experienced a resurgence in popularity and critical acclaim towards the end of his career, winning

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