Pinetop Perkins
Pinetop Perkins | |
---|---|
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer |
Instrument(s) | Piano, vocals, keyboards |
Years active | 1920s–2011 |
Labels | Blind Pig, Antone's |
Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American
Life and career
Early career
Perkins was born in
He continued working with Nighthawk, however, accompanying him on "Jackson Town Gal" in 1950.In the 1950s, Perkins joined Earl Hooker and began touring. He recorded "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" at Sam Phillips's Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The tune was written by Pinetop Smith, who created the original recording in 1928. Perkins didn't write; he "got as high as third grade in school."[3] He learned to play-off Smith's records. As Perkins recalled, "They used to call me 'Pinetop' because I played that song."[5]
Perkins then relocated to Illinois and left the music business until Hooker persuaded him to record again in 1968. Perkins replaced Otis Spann in the Muddy Waters band when Spann left the band in 1969.[4] After ten years with that organization, he formed the Legendary Blues Band with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, recording from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.[4]
Later career
Perkins played a brief musical cameo on the street outside Aretha's Soul Food Cafe in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers, having an argument with John Lee Hooker over who wrote "Boom Boom". He also appeared in the 1987 movie Angel Heart as a member of guitarist Toots Sweet's band.
Perkins was a
The death of Perkins's common law wife, Sara Lewis, in 1995, triggered a depression and periods of drinking.[7] In 1998, he released the album Legends, featuring Sumlin. In 2001, Perkins performed at the Chicago Blues Festival with Ike Turner.[8] Turner credited Perkins with inspiring him to play piano.[9]
Perkins was driving his automobile in 2004 in La Porte, Indiana, when his car was hit by a train. The car was wrecked, but the 91-year-old driver was not seriously hurt. Until his death, Perkins lived in Austin, Texas. He usually performed a couple of nights a week at Momo's, on Sixth Street.
The song "Hey Mr. Pinetop Perkins", performed by Perkins and Angela Strehli, played on the common misconception that he wrote "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie":
- Hey Mr. Pinetop Perkins
- I got a question for you
- How'd you write that first boogie woogie
- The one they named after you
As he aged, Perkins's hearing declined.[10]
Death
On March 21, 2011, Perkins died in his sleep of cardiac arrest at his home in Austin, Texas at the age of 97.[7][11] Multiple memorial services were held in Perkins's honor in cities throughout the United States. The Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi held a dedicated jam on March 31, 2011, for friends and fans of Perkins.[12] A music-filled open-casket funeral for Perkins was held in Austin, Texas on March 29, 2011, and was attended by several fellow musicians including Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Bob Margolin.[13]
Perkins was laid to rest in the McLaurin Memorial Garden cemetery in Clarksdale on April 2, 2011, following a final open-casket "homegoing" celebration.[10] The finally laying to rest was ministered by Henry Epsy, the first Black mayor of Clarksdale, and the altar display included Perkins's favorite meal: a McDonald's Big Mac and apple pie.[10]
At the time of his death, he had more than 20 performances booked for 2011. Shortly before he died, while discussing his late career resurgence with an interviewer, he conceded, "I can't play piano like I used to either. I used to have bass rolling like thunder. I can't do that no more. But I ask the Lord, please forgive me for the stuff I done trying to make a nickel."[14] Perkins and David "Honeyboy" Edwards were the last surviving original Delta blues musicians. Perkins was also one of the last surviving bluesmen to have known Robert Johnson.[14]
Legacy
Influence
Pinetop Perkins Foundation
In the late musician's honor, the Pinetop Perkins Foundation holds annual workshops for young musicians interested in Blues and Jazz music.[16] The workshop, which usually occurs in Clarksdale, Mississippi but was made virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, provides young musicians master classes with some of the best living talent in the traditional Blues and Jazz genres, and culminates in a performance at the Ground Zero Blues Club by the students.[16] The other arm of the foundation provides financial relief to aging musicians through a program called the Pinetop Assistance League; with a goal of ensuring that elderly musicians who can no longer earn an income can pay their housing and medical costs in order to have comfort and dignity in their later years.[17]
Awards and honors
Perkins was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2000.[5]
In 2003, Perkins was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.[18]
In 2005, Perkins received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.[1]
In 2008, Perkins, together with
At the age of 97, Perkins won a
Documentaries
Perkins has been the subject of two documentary films: Born in the Honey (2007) and Sidemen: Long Road to Glory (2016).[1][21] He also appeared in Clint Eastwood's 2003 documentary Piano Blues.[22]
Selected discography
- 1976: Boogie Woogie King, recorded 1976, released 1992
- 1988: After Hours
- 1992: Pinetop Perkins with the Blue Ice Band
- 1992: On Top
- 1993: Portrait of a Delta Bluesman
- 1995: Live Top, with the Blue Flames
- 1996: Eye to Eye, with Ronnie Earl, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Calvin "Fuzz" Jones[23]
- 1997: Born in the Delta
- 1998: Sweet Black Angel
- 1998: Legends, with Hubert Sumlin
- 1998: Down in Mississippi
- 1999: Live at 85!, with George Kilby Jr
- 2000: Back on Top
- 2003: Heritage of the Blues: The Complete Hightone Sessions
- 2003: All Star Blues Jam, with Bob Margolin and others
- 2003: 8 Hands on 88 Keys: Chicago Blues Piano Masters
- 2004: Ladies Man
- 2007: 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and the Muddy Waters Band, recorded live[24]
- 2007: Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down – with Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, and James Cotton
- 2008: Pinetop Perkins and Friends
- 2010: Joined at the Hip, with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
- 2012: Heaven, with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on one track and liner notes by Justin O'Brien
- 2015: Genuine Blues Legends, Pinetop Perkins and Jimmy Rogers with Little Mike and the Tornadoes[25]
With Carey Bell
- Carey Bell's Blues Harp (Delmark, 1969)
- Last Night (BluesWay, 1973)
With Earl Hooker
- 2 Bugs and a Roach (Arhoolie, 1969)
With Muddy Waters
- Live at Mr. Kelly's (Chess, 1971)
- Can't Get No Grindin' (Chess, 1973)
- "Unk" in Funk (Chess, 1974)
- The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album (Chess, 1975)
- Hard Again (Blue Sky, 1977)
See also
- Blues Hall of Fame
- List of blues musicians
- List of boogie woogie musicians
- List of Chicago blues musicians
- Chicago Blues Festival
- Long Beach Blues Festival
- Kentuckiana Blues Society
References
- ^ a b c d Friskics-Warren, Bill (March 21, 2011). "Pinetop Perkins, Delta Boogie-Woogie Master, Dies at 97". The New York Times. p. A25.
- ^ Dahl, Bill. "Pinetop Perkins Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Ike Turner & Pinetop Perkins: Student and Teacher". Elmore Magazine. November 1, 2006.
- ^ ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ a b "Joe Willie 'Pinetop' Perkins: Blues Piano Player". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ "Pinetop Perkins Profile". Blind Pig Records. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Delta blues legend won a Grammy at age 97". Chicago Tribune. March 22, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Kening, Dan (June 8, 2001). "Chicago Blues Fest turns 18". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Dahl, Bill, Whiteis, David (June 7, 2001). "Chicago Blues Festival 2001". Chicago Reader.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Moser, Margaret (April 22, 2011). "Last of the Delta Bluesmen". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "Blues Pianist Pinetop Perkins Dies Aged 97". BBC News. March 22, 2011.
- ^ "CLARKSDALE: Pinetop Perkins Funeral Arrangements, etc". msbluestrail.org. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ Corcoran, Michael. "Austin bids Pinetop Perkins a heartfelt farewell". Austin 360. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Chilton, Martin (March 22, 2011). "B. B. King Leads Tributes to Pinetop Perkins". The Daily Telegraph.
- ISBN 9781852278502.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ a b "Pinetop Perkins Foundation - WORKSHOP". pinetopperkinsfoundation.org. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- ^ "Pinetop Perkins Foundation - PINETOP ASSISTANCE LEAGUE". pinetopperkinsfoundation.org. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- ^ O'Neal, Jim (November 10, 2016). "Pinetop Perkins – Inductee". Blues Foundation.
- ^ "Grammy Awards for Pinetop Perkins". The Recording Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- )
- ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (August 17, 2017). "Once Simply 'Sidemen,' Now They're the Stars". The New York Times. p. C6.
- ^ "Piano Blues: Directed by Clint Eastwood". PBS. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ "Eye to Eye". Valley Entertainment. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ 10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads at Discogs
- ^ "Pinetop Perkins & Jimmy Rogers with Little Mike and the Tornadoes – Genuine Blues Legends". discogs. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
External links
- Official website
- Pinetop Perkins discography at Discogs
- Pinetop Perkins at IMDb
- Pinetop Perkins at Find a Grave