Elmore James
Elmore James | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Elmore Brooks |
Born | Richland, Holmes County, Mississippi, U.S. | January 27, 1918
Died | May 24, 1963 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 45)
Genres | Blues |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1940s–1963 |
Elmore James (
Biography
Elmore James was born Elmore Brooks in Richland, Holmes County, Mississippi, the son of 15-year-old Leola Brooks, a field hand.[4] His father was probably Joe Willie "Frost" James,[1] who moved in with Leola, and Elmore took his surname. He began making music at the age of 12, using a simple one-string instrument (diddley bow, or jitterbug) strung on a shack wall.[1] As a teen he performed at dances under the names Cleanhead and Joe Willie James.[4]
James was influenced by Robert Johnson,[1] Kokomo Arnold and Tampa Red. He recorded several of Tampa Red's songs. He also inherited from Tampa Red's band two musicians who joined his own backing band, the Broomdusters, "Little" Johnny Jones (piano) and Odie Payne (drums).[4] In the late 1930s, James worked alongside Sonny Boy Williamson II.[4]
During World War II, James joined the U.S. Navy, was promoted to coxswain and took part in the invasion of Guam.[1] Upon his discharge, he returned to central Mississippi and settled in the town of Canton with his adopted brother Robert Holston.
He began recording with Trumpet Records in nearby Jackson in January 1951, first as a sideman again for Sonny Boy Williamson II and for their mutual friend Willie Love and possibly others.[1] He made his debut as a session leader in August with "Dust My Broom", which was a surprise R&B hit in 1952.[2] His backing musicians became known as the Broomdusters.[2]
James broke his contract with Trumpet Records to sign with the Bihari brothers[1] through their scout Ike Turner, who played guitar and piano on a couple of his early Bihari recordings. His "I Believe" was a hit a year later.[2] During the 1950s he recorded for the Bihari brothers' Flair Records, Meteor Records, and Modern Records; he also recorded for Chess Records and Mel London's Chief Records.[5] He played lead guitar on Big Joe Turner's 1954 top 10 R&B hit "TV Mama".[6]
In 1959, he began recording for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records, which released "The Sky Is Crying", "My Bleeding Heart", "Stranger Blues", "Look on Yonder Wall", "Done Somebody Wrong", and "Shake Your Moneymaker", among others.[2]
James died of a
James was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as an "Early Influence" inductee.[3] In 2012, he was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Ebenezer.[7][8]
Influence
James influenced many slide players, such as blues guitarists
Discography
Selected singles
- "Dust My Broom" (1951 & 1965)
- "I Believe" (1953)
- "Standing at the Crossroads" (1954 & 1965)
- "Dust My Blues" (1955)
- "It Hurts Me Too" (1957 & 1965)
- "The Sky Is Crying" (1960)
- "I Can't Hold Out" (1960)
- "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (1960)
- "Shake Your Moneymaker" (1961)
- "Look on Yonder Wall" (1961)
- "Bleeding Heart" (1965)
- "One Way Out" (1965)
- "Every Day I Have the Blues" (1965)
Selected compilation albums
- Blues After Hours (1960)
- Whose Muddy Shoes (1969) (split album with John Brim)
- Street Talkin' (1975)
- King of the Slide Guitar (1992)
- The Classic Early Recordings: 1951–1956 (1993)
- The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James (1993)
- Golden Hits (1996)
Gallery
-
Blues Trail Marker
-
Gravesite located at Newport Missionary Baptist Church
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-006223-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84195-017-4.
- ^ a b "Elmore James". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
- ^ a b c d e f Koda, Cub. "Elmore James – Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-89820-068-3.
- ^ Swyner, Alan (1998). Liner notes to The Very Best of Big Joe Turner. Rhino CD 72968.
- ^ a b "Elmore James". Mississippi Blues Trail.
- ^ a b "Featured Marker – Elmore James". Mississippi Blues Trail.
- ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ Mulhern, Tom (February 1983). ""I'm Different" or "Not Exactly Duane Allman"". Guitar Player. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2011 – via Home.online.no.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ISBN 978-0-87930-662-5.
- ^ Smith, Alan (May 9, 1970). "New LP Shows They Couldn't Care Less". NME. p. 2.