Sarasota Slim

Like Tampa Red, Sarasota Slim wears his hometown pride on his sleeve. Born Gene Hardage, Slim has been part of the Tampa Bay blues scene for decades, and was part of the group called the Gulf Coast Blues Society that helped establish the best weekly blues jam in the Tampa Bay area, the Monday night shindig at the Green Iguana on West Shore Blvd. in Tampa. In the '80s, Slim was a bandmate of Lucky Peterson, who went on to become well known in the international blues scene, while Slim kept living around here, helping build the local blues scene.