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Repair Bids For Muddy Waters' Chicago Home To Be Presented Thursday

Muddy Waters House
The former home of blues musician Muddy Waters in the North Kenwood neighborhood. (Credit: Matt Cole)

CHICAGO (CBS) -- This Thursday could be an important day for a long-neglected piece of Chicago blues history, reports WBBM's Kris Kridel.

Repair Bids For Muddy Waters' Chicago Home To Be Presented Thursday

For 20 years, from the 50s to the 70s, blues giant Muddy Waters lived in a brick two-flat near 43rd and Lake Park in North Kenwood. The basement was a studio where he jammed with his piano player and drummer and he lived upstairs. Now, there is nothing left.

"It is your typical two-flat that has been kind of stripped and abandoned," said Bryan Esenberg from Neighborhood Housing Services.

Esenberg is in charge of deciding whether the long-vacant house can be saved.

"The building can definitely be saved and it can be converted into some sort of museum for Muddy Waters," said Esenberg.

Esenberg will be in court Thursday to present bids for the repairs needed to bring the house up to code. It is also in foreclosure, and a relative of Waters said she wants to preserve the house as a landmark.

"It was exciting goin' there and it was almost kind of going into that secret vault, you know, what are we gonna find?" said Esenberg.

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