Influential blues man Magic Slim has died aged 75.

A contemporary of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, the Chicago, Illinois-based singer and guitarist lost his battle with ill health in hospital early on Thursday morning (21Feb13), according to his manager.

Born in Mississippi, Slim, real name Morris Holt, fronted The Teardrops and is considered one of the icons of the Chicago electric blues scene.

He released his first album, Born Under a Bad Sign, in the late 1970s and his final album, Bad Boy, last year (12).

His manager, Marty Salzman, claims a recent tour exacerbated heart, lung and kidney problems, and he was hospitalised with a bleeding ulcer.