A true master of Chicago Blues, Malcolm "Little Mack Simmons was born in Twist, Arkansas on January 25th,1933. Little Mack found an escape from the poverty of his youth through the harmonica, an obsession he shared with his childhood friend JAMES COTTON. As a teenager Little Mack would frequent a juke joint at nearby Black Fish Lake where he would hear the music of Little Junior Parker, Willie Nix and Bobby Blue Bland. Married at 15, Mack soon departed Twist for the bright lights of St.Louis. A chance street corner encounter with guitarist ROBERT NIGHTHAWK led to Mack's first ever Club performance backing the Delta legend. It was also in St.Louis that Little Mack met his secong wife, the singer/songwriter Georgia Mae Hinton, with whom he migrated to Chicago, where Georgia Mae's first cousin Little Walter Jacobs lived.

In various South side clubs Simmons soaked in LITTLE WALTERS playing and in 1955 formed his own band recruiting DETROIT JUNIOR on piano and EDDIE KING on guitar. Under Little Mack's leadership this combo worked steadily at Cadillac Baby's club at 4708 South Dearborn.Throughout the late 50's and early 60's Little Mack was in demand on both the South and West side club circuits. His recording career began in 1959 with releases on the CJ label. He also recorded for Checker, Bea & Baby. In the 1970's he ran his own labels P.M. and Simmons and as well as his own releases he also recorded FENTON ROBINSON, ARELEAN BROWN and EDDIE SHAW.

In 1975 Little Mack toured Europe for the first time with Little Walter's former bandmates Fred Below and Dave Myers.Back home in Chicago he purchased Club Zodiac at 2335 South Cottage Grove. In the space above the club he opened Simmons Recording Studio and installed a state of the art 24 track machine. The 1980's were a time of upheavel for Little Mack and he drifted away from music. In 1996 he signed with Electro-Fi and in January 1997 "Little Mack is Back" was released to great acclaim. "Somewhere On Down The Line" followed in 1998. Mack again toured Europe and performed brilliantly at the 2000 Chicago Blues Festival before passing away from colon cancer on October 24th,2000.

Little Mack might best be remembered as an eclectric innovator who played by his own rules, a talented musician who was as strong a singer as he was a harp player. As his former guitarist LONNIE BROOKS recalls "He didn't catch on like Little Walter or Junior Wells, but Mack could play anything, he was a great harmonica player".

Andrew Galloway, President, Electro-Fi Records.