Beverly "Guitar" Watkins. born April 6, 1939 in Atlanta, Georgia, was an American blues guitarist. She began her musical journey in high school, playing bass for Billy West Stone and the Down Beats. In 1959, she joined Piano Red and the Meter-tones, later known as Piano Red and the Houserockers, with whom she toured nationally and released successful singles such as "Dr. Feelgood" and "Right String but the Wrong Yo-Yo". After the band's breakup in 1965, Watkins played with various artists until the late 1980s. She was later re-discovered by Music Maker Relief Foundation founder Tim Duffy and joined the all-star Women of the Blues "Hot Mamas" tour in 1998 with Koko Taylor and Rory Block. Her debut CD, Back in Business, earned a W.C. Handy Award nomination in 2000. Watkins continued to perform internationally until her death on October 1, 2019, at the age of 80.
