The nearly forgotten story of Calgary blues legend Ellen McIlwaine
The new CBC documentary Goddess of Slide tells McIlwaine's story
Director Alfonso Maiorana's new documentary, Goddess of Slide, tells the story of Ellen McIlwaine, a pioneering singer-songwriter and slide guitarist who should have been a household name.
Born in Nashville and raised in Japan, McIlwaine played with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Taj Mahal before ultimately settling down in Calgary where she worked as a school bus driver in the last decade of her life. Now, she's finally receiving her rightful place in music history. Maiorana joins Tom Power to tell us more about McIlwaine's remarkable life and legacy.
Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine is available now to stream on CBC Gem.
The full interview with Alfonso Maiorana is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Alfonso Maiorana produced by Aajah Sauter.