First off, let me wish all performers who are vying for a spot or shot at making it to the National Blues competition, via a win here, at home, with the help and backing of NEOBA, and all of it's hard-working people, the best of luck (that's read "a quality performance") in your efforts.
Some May Blues Births:
- May 8th.,1979-- "Smokin' " Joe Bonamassa
- May 17th.,1922-- Vance "Tiny" Powell
- May 28th.,1917-- John Henry Creach, aka Papa John Creach
Answer To The March/ April Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/ is Jimmy Johnson, born as James Earl Thompson, on November 25,1928, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. In his youth he sang in gospel groups and played piano. His family moved to Chicago around 1950, where he worked as a welder, and played guitar in his spare time. Two of his brothers were also musicians, and they were all influenced by their neighbor, one "Magic Sam" (Samuel Gene Maghett). In '59 Jimmy also changed his last name to Johnson, as did his brother Syl (Sylvester Thompson, who was advised to do so by a record producer with whom he was working). The third brother kept his name as it was-- Mac Thompson. Jimmy liked the styles of both Buddy Guy and Otis Rush, and that's what influenced his playing.He performed with people such as both Freddie and Albert King, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Eddy Clearwater, and many other of the big names in the Chicago blues area. In the early '60's he went more toward the soul end of the music, where he performed with notable people, such as Otis Clay, Denise LaSalle, Garland Green, and others. By '74 he was back to playing the blues, with Jimmy "Fast Fingers" Dawkins, and toured Japan in '75 with Otis Rush. In '80 Jimmy was awarded at the first annual Blues Music Awards, in Memphis. His career kept growing after that until December 2,1988, when his touring van crashed in Indiana, killing his band's keyboardist St. James Bryant, and Larry Exum the band's bassist. Jimmy was also injured, and took an extended break from performing. In '94 he returned to it, and did a recording for Verve Records, album titled "I'm A Jockey". In 2002 he and brother Syl recorded an album on Evangeline Records, titled "Two Johnson's Are Better Than One". He was inducted into The Blues Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2020, he was honored as "the Best Blues Guitarist", by Living Blues Magazine, and a year later he was named "Best Blues Artist of The Year". A year after that, he passed away at his home in Harvey, Illinois, on January 31,2022, just six days before his brother Syl also passed away. The third brother, Mac, born January 28,1934, had passed away, earlier, on October 10,1991.
Blues Question For May 2022: This person isn't a bluesman, per se, but is known as an actor, but he is an excellent writer (songs included) and singer. For someone with his abilities he's not well known by most, but he sure has a long list of credits. He did do some touring with an unknown blues band, as the vocalist. Any ideas who this person might be ??
Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For May 2022: The song is "Crying At Daybreak", and the artist is Howlin' Wolf. This was the "b" side of an RPM recording , with the "a" side being "Passing By Blues", RPM #340, recorded October 2,1951, at KWEM radio in West Memphis, Arkansas. The artists on this were: Howlin' Wolf on harmonica and vocals, Ike Turner (yes, that Ike) on piano, Willie Johnson on guitar and bass, and Willie Steel on drums. This is the first recording of the Wolf's where he mentions "smoke stack lightning" in the lyrics. The song "Smokestack Lightning" was recorded in February of '56, on Chess Records, #1618. Incidentally, the "smoke stack lightning" referred to in the songs is the description of the sparks being emitted from the smoke stack of a locomotive, in the darkness of night.
Blues Trivia For May 2022: The radio station mentioned earlier, KWEM, was a leading station that started broadcasting on February 9,1947,(990AM) on the dial, officially opened two weeks later. It was started by the owners of a Little Rock area station, KXLR,(1450AM), who wanted to build a network of radio stations, to broadcast Arkansas Razorback's Football. Howlin' Wolf had a show on KWEM(990AM) from 1949 to 1952. The people who got their music careers started at or through this station were many, such as Paul Burlinson (rockabilly guitarist), B.B.King, on a show that was run by Sonny Boy Williamson II, Jim Stewart, who founded STAX records, and also James Cotton and Hubert Sumlin. Johhny Cash's first radio broadcast was on this station, as was also the first for an unknown performer who wasn't very well received by the station's audience because he didn't have a band. You might have heard of him: Elvis Presley. The station has gone through a lot of changes over the years since those days-- moving the offices to Memphis (on the other side of the river) while keeping the transmitter in West Memphis, changing call letters, ownership of it, and on and on. It is now still functioning again as KWEM-LP (low power)FM (93.3). It is now owned by Arkansas State University. It broadcasts blues and gospel musics, and is used as a "training ground" for the community college's digital media program, as it's on-line also.
Some May Blues Passings:
- May 2nd.,1975-- Milton Morse Love, aka Billy "Red" Love
- May 16th.,2002-- James Dewar
- May 20th.,2012-- Carrie Louise Smith
A Footnote re the March/April Blues Blog: There was an album listed/ provided for your entertainment, "Heartbreakin' Woman", by Marva Wright. The one that was chosen/is pictured is the third and the last, to this date, re-issue of the album, and it's on Mardi Gras Records, # MG1038, released in 1998. The original on Tipatina's label, # T-007, shows Marva in black leather slacks and jacket, astride a blue motorcycle (possibly a Harley or other V-twin),outside the front of Tipatina's, and was issued in 1990. The second re-issue is on Sky Ranch Records (out of France), # SR652307, released in 1991 (France only). That has a cover with what I'd call a "ghosted picture" of Marva, looking to the left, and singing. Just thought I'd let you know !!
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