Billy began his career playing professionally at teen dances and parties at the age of fourteen, and by eighteen he was sneaking in Chicago blues clubs to hear greats like Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and James Cotton.
Within a few years, he was representing House, Hurt, White, Skip James, Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins, Arthur Crudup, Junior Wells, J. B. Hutto and many others.
The band's name referred to the location of the Checkerboard Lounge where they served as Junior Wells's backing band.
The song was covered in 1996 by blues vocalist and harmonica player, Junior Wells, on his album Come On in This House.
The review from jazzreview.com notes the album's "nods to harp legends Little Walter, Junior Wells and Kim Wilson, and states that Marriner's "tight band fan the flames of tradition with a scorching sound for the 21st century.
In the beginning, they started as an opening act for such bands as The Pogues, Tragically Hip, George Thorogood, and Junior Wells, but it was not long before they grabbed the main stage themselves.
Wells Fargo | H. G. Wells | Junior Wells | Indian Wells | World Junior Figure Skating Championships | Sadler's Wells | Mary Wells | Super Junior | Junior Chamber International | National Junior College | Junior Vasquez | Bishop of Bath and Wells | Wells, Somerset | Wells Fargo Center | Spencer Wells | Sadler's Wells Theatre | Junior Johnson | Wells | Quebec Major Junior Hockey League | National Junior College Athletic Association | Kitty Wells | Junior | junior | Jonathan Wells | Individual Speedway Junior World Championship | Degrassi Junior High | 2012 IRB Junior World Championship | Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia) | Wells Cathedral | Junior League |
Higgins worked with a variety of musicians including Gene Harris, Bobby Bland, The Chi-Lites, Junior Wells, Freddy Robinson, Muddy Waters, Cash McCall, Etta James, Blue Mitchell and The Three Sounds.
In the late 1990s, through licenses from such blues labels as Alligator Records, St. Clair Entertainment released a Celebration of the Blues series of CDs, which included such performers as Johnny Winter, Amos Garrett, Norton Buffalo, Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, Freddie King, James Cotton, King Biscuit Boy, Junior Wells and Katie Webster.