Mighty Sam McClain (1943–2015) was an American soul-blues singer known for his powerful, emotional voice in the Southern soul tradition.
Born Samuel McClain in Monroe, Louisiana, he started singing gospel as a child, left home young, and worked the Chitlin’ Circuit. He scored early notice in 1966 with a cover of Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams,” but his career stalled for years before a strong comeback in the 1990s.
- Specialty: gritty soul-blues in the vein of Bobby Bland and Otis Redding
- Later years: based in New Hampshire; released well-regarded albums into the 2000s
“If It Wasn’t for the Blues” appears on his 2003 album One More Bridge to Cross.
It’s a heartfelt mid-tempo track where McClain reflects on struggle and resilience, declaring that without the blues he wouldn’t know what to do. The song captures the personal, redemptive side of his later work.