Chicago Street Musicians

A farmers market in Chicago is looking for a street musician, preferably guitar and vocals. Paying opportunity. If interested, please email [email protected].

Hello Chicago Street Musicians! If you have spent time performing on the city’s streets, we would love to hear from you!

A project at Northwestern University is studying the experiences, impact, and well-being of street musicians, with the hope that a better understanding of the experiences of the musicians that make our city spaces vibrant will produce better research on the impact of public music on public health. Please use the survey (linked below) to relay any experiences you’d like to share.

Thank you for your responses, and thank you for keeping the city welcoming and beautiful!

Link to survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsG-Zs0ehVGyq1IjPCOlM_qyDRfXiNsYav2Azv8gSALGC6XA/viewform?usp=sf_link "

Chicago Street Performers Survey (2024) This is a questionnaire about performance experiences for Chicago street performers. The goal of this study is to better understand the experiences and well-being of street musicians to advocate for better support for street performers and their impact on Chicago listeners.

It is with great sadness that we inform our community of the passing of legendary Chicago street musician, George Banks. Originally trained in theater, George decided to pursue music in the early 1980s when he began playing percussion for his church. George could also sing and he later taught himself to play guitar. He was a long-time feature on the streets and in the subway stations of Chicago, and he always loved knowing that his music helped make someone’s day more enjoyable.

George was instrumental in helping launch the Chicago Street Musician project in 2009 and remained a partner and one of the organization’s main contact persons in Chicago for many years. When we first met George, he told us that he noticed that “adults will occasionally glance or watch; children always look back and watch,” moments he felt were “sign[s] of God’s approval” of George’s work.

You can listen to George in this interview recorded by the Kindling Group:
https://youtu.be/A1w-rpAsP1A

You can also listen to George and his fellow street musicians playing “Sweet Home Chicago” here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOD9UZK9uOM

Chuck Saunders, George’s foster brother, was with George when he passed away on the morning of Sunday, March 19, 2023. His birth sister, Ginger Fleming is working on a Zoom celebration with the Broadway United Methodist Church that George attended. The event is still in the works, but details will be posted at https://broadwaychurchchicago.com.

If you would like to pay your respects to the family, both Chuck and Ginger would welcome your message. You can contact them at:

Charles (Chuck) Saunders
[email protected]

Virginia (Ginger) Fleming
[email protected]

Much love to George - he was a special human being with a great energy and sense of humor. He will be greatly missed!

Gabriel Chapman
Chicago Street Musicians Co-Founder

Nicholas Barron ( ) performing at our "Street Home Chicago" concert at the House of Blues, celebrating street music and street performers. Nicholas also emceed the event.

performing for our "Sweet Home Chicago" video prior to American Idol fame.

Violinist Scott Dusenberry performing "Sweet Home Chicago" next to the Chicago Cultural Center.

Jerome Tolliver and Jerry Williams performing on one of the bridges over the Chicago River.

Bucket drummers performing in front of Buckingham Fountain.

Chicago Street Musicians (CSM) is a not-for-profit organization that celebrates street musicians by educating the public at large about their lives and music and by providing additional performance opportunities. Originally focused on Chicago, we seek to highlight the work of street musicians everywhere.

Today we are posting some oldies but goodies! This is the Real Connection, which featured Ron Christian, Norman Smith and Joseph Ellison. Here they are prepping to sing "Sweet Home Chicago" for our film in 2009.

Upcoming webinar - What's in Your Wallet: Money Management 101, on 4/28. Feel free to share with your membership, fellow musicians, colleagues, contacts and/or on socials.

The link to register https://grammy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5l3yDjzXTtWpjWfPOBEFIA