Willie Mitchell (musician)
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Willie Mitchell | |
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.png) Mitchell in 1966 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Lawrence Mitchell |
| Born | March 1, 1928 Ashland, Mississippi, U.S |
| Origin | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | January 5, 2010 (aged 81) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, R&B, rock and roll, pop, funk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, bandleader, record producer, arranger |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, trumpet |
| Labels | Hi Records |
William Lawrence Mitchell (March 1, 1928 – January 5, 2010).
Biography
Born and raised in
Mitchell landed a job with the Home of the Blues record label as a producer, then left to join Hi Records as both a recording artist and a producer.[2]
Known at the recording studio as "Papa Willie", Mitchell earned his nickname by taking over the reins of Hi Records in 1970 and guiding it through its most successful period. Mitchell's productions have been much noted for featuring a hard-hitting bass drum sound (usually played by pioneering Memphis drummer
A trumpeter and bandleader in his own right, Mitchell released a number of popular
Through the 1980s, Mitchell ran his own independent record label, Waylo Records.[3] Acts on the label included Billy Always and Lynn White.[5]
In 1987, Joyce Cobb recorded several singles for Waylo, one of which made it to No. 3 on the British R&B chart:[citation needed] "Another Lonely Night (Without You)", while in 1987, Mitchell worked on a version of Wet Wet Wet's debut album, which was issued in 1988 as The Memphis Sessions.
He and
Mitchell died in Memphis on January 5, 2010, from a cardiac arrest.[6]
His final work was producing the final Solomon Burke studio album, Nothing's Impossible, released in June 2010.
Discography
- 1963: Sunrise Serenade
- 1964: 20-75
- 1964: Hold It
- 1965: It's Dance Time
- 1966: It's What's Happenin'
- 1966: The Hit Sound Of Willie Mitchell
- 1967: Ooh Baby, You Turn Me On
- 1968: Willie Mitchell Live at the Royal
- 1968: Soul Serenade
- 1969: On Top
- 1969: Solid Soul
- 1969: Soul Bag
- 1970: Robbin's Nest
- 1970: The Many Moods of Willie Mitchell
- 1971: Listen Dance
- 1977: Willie Mitchell Live
- 1981: Willie Willie Willie
- 1986: That Driving Beat
- 2001: Poppa Willie The Hi Years / 1962-74
- 2003: Walkin' With Willie
- 2008: Best Damn Fool (with Buddy Guy)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | CAN | UK[4] | ||
| 1964 | "20-75" | 31 | 32 | 32 | — |
| "Percolatin'" | 85 | — | — | — | |
| 1965 | "Buster Browne" | 96 | 29 | — | — |
| "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" | 126 | — | — | — | |
| 1966 | "Bad Eye" | 92 | 23 | — | — |
| "Mercy" | 127 | — | — | — | |
| 1967 | "Slippin' and Slidin'" | 96 | — | — | — |
| 1968 | "Soul Serenade"A | 23 | 10 | 21 | 43 |
| "Prayer Meetin'" | 45 | 23 | 79 | — | |
| "Up-Hard" | 91 | — | — | — | |
| 1969 | "30-60-90" | 69 | 31 | 90 | — |
| "Young People" | 120 | — | — | — | |
| "My Babe" | 115 | 37 | — | — | |
| 1976 | "The Champion" | — | — | — | 47 |
- A"Soul Serenade" peaked at number 32 on Billboard Adult Contemporary chart
References
- ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ ISBN 0-634-05560-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "B&S classic interview: Willie Mitchell". Bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (6 January 2010). "Willie Mitchell, Soul Music Producer, Dies at 81 (Published 2010)". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
External links
- Willie Mitchell at AllMusic
- Musician Willie Mitchell dead at 82
- Famed musician, record producer Willie Mitchell dies
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