Jimmy Witherspoon

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Jimmy Witherspoon
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresBlues, jump blues[1]
Occupation(s)Singer
Years active1940s–1995

James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer.[1]

Early life, family and education

Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas.[2] His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mother was an avid piano player.[2] Witherspoon's grandson Ahkello Witherspoon is a cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams.[3]

Witherspoon eventually joined the

Merchant Marines.[2]

Career

Witherspoon first attracted attention singing in

Gene Norman
. Another classic Witherspoon composition is "Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough".

Witherspoon performed in four of the famed Cavalcade of Jazz concerts held in Los Angeles at

Joe Liggins's Honeydrippers, and Roy Brown.[7] His last appearance at the eighth Cavalcade of Jazz concert was on June 1, 1952. Also featured that day were Anna Mae Winburn and Her Sweethearts, Jerry Wallace, Toni Harper, Roy Brown and His Mighty Men, Louis Jordan and his Orchestra, and Josephine Baker.[8]

Witherspoon's style of blues—as a "blues shouter"—became unfashionable in the mid-1950s, but he returned to popularity with his 1959 album Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which featured Roy Eldridge, Woody Herman, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines, and Mel Lewis.[9] Witherspoon later recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Leroy Vinnegar, Richard "Groove" Holmes, and T-Bone Walker.[2]

Tours and successes

In 1961 he toured Europe with

Russ Ferrante. A recording from this period, Spoonful, featured Witherspoon accompanied by Robben Ford, Joe Sample, Cornell Dupree, Thad Jones, and Bernard Purdie.[10] He continued performing and recording into the 1990s.[10]

Other performers with whom Witherspoon recorded include

, and Gene Gilbeaux.

Acting

In the 1995 film Georgia, Witherspoon portrayed Trucker, a traveling, gun-collecting blues singer who has a relationship with the troubled character Sadie, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.

He played Nate Williams in The Black Godfather (1974) and Percy in To Sleep with Anger (1990).

Personal life, death and legacy

Witherspoon died of throat cancer on September 18, 1997, in Los Angeles, California.[11][2]

Discography

Albums

  • 1947-48: The Chronological 1947-1948 (Classics 'Blues & Rhythm series', [2003])
  • 1948-49: The Chronological 1948-1949 (Classics 'Blues & Rhythm series', [2004])
  • 1950-51: The Chronological 1950-1951 (Classics 'Blues & Rhythm series', [2006])
  • 1952-53: Miss Miss Mistreater: The Very Best of Jimmy Witherspoon (King/Collectables, [2004]) [Federal sessions]
  • 1954-59: Spoon So Easy (The Chess Years) (Chess/MCA, [1990])
  • Wilbur De Paris Plays & Jimmy Witherspoon Sings New Orleans Blues (Atlantic, 1957)
  • RCA Victor
    , 1957 [1958])
  • Singin' the Blues (World Pacific, 1958 [1959])
  • At the Monterey Jazz Festival (HiFi Jazz/Everest, 1959 [1960])
  • Feelin' the Spirit (HiFi Jazz/Everest, 1959)
  • At the Renaissance with Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster (HiFi Jazz/Everest, 1959 [1960])
  • Jimmy Witherspoon (Crown, 1960)
  • Sings the Blues (Crown, 1960)
  • With Buck Clayton (Vogue [UK], 1961)
  • Spoon (Reprise, 1961)
  • Hey, Mrs. Jones (Reprise, 1962)
  • Roots with Ben Webster (Reprise, 1962)
  • 1963: Baby, Baby, Baby (Prestige)
  • 1963: Evenin' Blues (Prestige, [1964])
  • 1963: Blues Around the Clock (Prestige, [1964])
  • 1964: Blue Spoon (Prestige, [1965])
  • 1964: Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues (Prestige, [1965])
  • 1965: Spoon in London (Prestige, [1966])
  • 1965: Blues for Easy Livers (Prestige, [1966])
  • Blues for Spoon and Groove with
    Richard "Groove" Holmes
    (Surrey, 1965)
  • Jimmy Witherspoon in Person (Vogue [UK], 1965) reissue of With Buck Clayton
  • Spoon Sings and Swings with Dick Morrissey (Fontana [UK], 1966)
  • A Spoonful of Blues (Ember, 1966) reissue of Jimmy Witherspoon
  • A Blue Point of View (Verve, 1966)
  • The Blues is Now with Jack McDuff (Verve,1963 1967)
  • A Spoonful of Soul (Verve, 1968)
  • Live with Ben Webster (Stateside [UK], 1968)
  • The Blues Singer (ABC/
    Bluesway
    , 1969)
  • Hunh! (ABC/Bluesway 1970)
  • Handbags and Gladrags (ABC, 1971)
  • Guilty with Eric Burdon (MGM, 1971)
  • The Spoon Concerts (Fantasy [2LP], 1972) reissues of At the Monterey Jazz Festival and At the Renaissance
  • Previously Unreleased Recordings with Ben Webster (Verve, 1973)
  • Love is a Five Letter Word (Capitol, 1975)
  • Spoonful (Blue Note, 1975)
  • Live Jimmy Witherspoon &
    Rhino
    , 1977)
  • Live at the Watts Jazz Festival, Volume 1 with Willie Bobo, Gene Ammons (LAX/Avenue Jazz/Rhino, 1977)
  • Live in Paris with Buck Clayton (Jazz Vogue [UK], 1977)
  • Sings The Blues (Black & Blue, 1978)
  • Spoon's Life (Isabel, 1980)
  • Olympia Concert (Inner City, 1980) reissue of Jimmy Witherspoon in Person
  • Big Blues (JSP, 1981)
  • Sings the Blues with Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans (Muse, 1983)
  • Spoonful O' Blues (Kent, 1984) compilation
  • Patcha, Patcha, All Night Long with Big Joe Turner (Pablo, 1985)
  • Midnight Lady Called the Blues (Muse, 1986)
  • Never Knew This Kind of Hurt Before: The Bluesway Sessions (Charly, 1988) compilation
  • Rockin' L.A. (Fantasy, 1989)
  • Live (At Condon's, New York) (Who's Who in Jazz, 1990)
  • Jay's Blues (The Complete Federal Sessions) (Charly R&B, 1991) compilation
  • Blowin' in from Kansas City (Flair/Virgin, 1991) compilation
  • Call My Baby (Night Train International, 1991) compilation
  • Live at the Notodden Blues Festival with Robben Ford (Blue Rock'it, 1992)
  • The Blues, the Whole Blues and Nothing But the Blues (Indigo, 1993)
  • Ain't Nobody's Business (The Blues Collection) (Orbis, 1992) compilation
  • Live at the Mint with Robben Ford (On The Spot/Private Music, 1994 [1996])
  • Cold Blooded Boogie (Night Train International, 1995) compilation
  • Spoon's Blues (Stony Plain, 1995)
  • Jimmy Witherspoon with the Junior Mance Trio (Stony Plain, 1997) previously unreleased live recording from 1969
  • Tougher Than Tough (Blue Moon, 1997) reissue of At the Renaissance
  • Jazz Me Blues: The Best of Jimmy Witherspoon (Prestige, 1998) compilation
  • Jimmy Witherspoon with the Duke Robillard Band (Stony Plain, 2000)
  • Spoon Meets Pao with Eugene Pao (Eastside, 2002) recorded 1990
  • Urban Blues Singing Legend (JSP [4CD], 2006) compilation
  • Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival with Robben Ford (Monterey Jazz Festival/Concord, 2008)

Chart singles

Year Single Chart Positions
US Pop[12] US
R&B
[13]
1949 "Ain't Nobody's Business (Parts 1 & 2)" (Supreme) 1
"In the Evening" (Supreme) 5
"No Rollin' Blues" (Modern) 4
"Big Fine Girl" (Modern) 4
1952 "The Wind is Blowin'" (Modern) 7
1965 "You're Next" (Prestige) 98
1975 "Love is a Five Letter Word" (Capitol) 31

Filmography/DVDs

  • 2000: Jazz Casual: Jimmy Witherspoon & Ben Webster (Jazz Casual/Idem)[14] reissued in: Jazz Casual: Jimmy Witherspoon/Jimmy Rushing [2003]
  • 2003: 20th Century Jazz Masters: Mel Tormé/Jimmy Witherspoon/Carmen McRae/Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan
  • 2009: Jimmy Witherspoon: Goin' Down Blues with Marshal Royal and John Collins

References

  1. ^ .
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "About the Spoon". Official Spoon. Archived from the original on September 16, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2007.
  3. ^ "49ers Roster". 49ers.com. San Francisco 49ers. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  4. .
  5. OCLC 866922945.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  6. ^ "Star Studded Show At Wrigley Field Sunday, July 10th" Article The California Eagle June 30, 1949.
  7. The California Eagle
    . July 5, 1951.
  8. ^ "That Man Who Sings The Blues". Los Angeles Sentinel. May 15, 1952.
  9. ^ Russell (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. p. 192.
  10. ^ a b "Spoon's Discography". Official Spoon. Archived from the original on September 16, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2007.
  11. ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1996–1997". TheDeadRockStarsClub.com. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  12. .
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995. Record Research. p. 490.
  14. ^ "Jimmy Witherspoon, Jazz Casual: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic.com. December 2, 2003. Retrieved August 30, 2015.

External links