Roy Book Binder, an American blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and storyteller, died on March 3, 2026, at the age of 82.
Born Roy Alan Bookbinder in Queens, New York City, on October 5, 1943, he was a student and friend of the Reverend Gary Davis and was known for moving between blues and ragtime. His work combined open tunings, slide arrangements and original compositions, alongside both traditional and self-styled licks.
Active from the mid-1960s until 2026, he recorded for Kicking Mule and Blue Goose Records by the mid- to late 1960s and toured England in 1969 with Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup and Homesick James.
Roy Alan Bookbinder (October 5, 1943 – March 3, 2026), known professionally as Roy Book Binder, was an American blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and storyteller. A student and friend of the Reverend Gary Davis, he was equally at home with blues and ragtime. He was known to shift from open tunings to slide arrangements to original compositions, with both traditional and self-styled licks. His storytelling was another characteristic that made his style unique.