Professor Harp

Congratulations to 2025 NEMHOF inductee Professor Harp! Born Hugh Holmes in Boston 1951, he was exposed to rock, blues and R&B from a young age. He loved the music of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Elvis & Jerry Lee Lewis. As he grew a little older he was very attracted to the British Invasion bands, which led him to discover all their heroes, bluesmen Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters & B.B. King. In the mid 60’s Hugh was first a drummer, playing in rock & roll bands, and at age 18 he was drawn to the blues and developing a black awareness. A PBS show called Mixed Bag that he regularly watched would show J. Geils one week, Muddy Waters the next, showcasing the harmonica which thrilled him. An episode of Big Mama Thornton with George “Harmonica” Smith sealed the deal for him and he was hooked. One day in 1969 while attending a Boston Blues revival; a performance by George “harmonica” Smith had him rethinking what instrument he would rather play.