1936 Snooks Eaglin*
1936 Erwin Helfer*
1942 Curtis Butler*
1942 Clarence Butler*
1943 Bnois King*
1948 Zora Young*
1953 Glenn Kaiser*
1984 Jackie Wilson+
1992 Champion Jack Dupree+
1999 Charles Brown+
2008 Francis Clay+
1936 Erwin Helfer*
1942 Curtis Butler*
1942 Clarence Butler*
1943 Bnois King*
1948 Zora Young*
1953 Glenn Kaiser*
1984 Jackie Wilson+
1992 Champion Jack Dupree+
1999 Charles Brown+
2008 Francis Clay+
Happy Birthday
Richard Bargel - Erwin Helfer Trio - "Rock This House" Köln/Cologne, Germany 14.03.2013
Richard Bargel - Erwin Helfer Trio - Köln/Cologne, Germany 14.03.2013
"Rock This House" - Mississippi Beat/Part 5 im Alten Pfandhaus-
Bei Richard Bargels Veranstaltung MISSISSIPPI BEAT/PART 5. feierte das Publikum in der ausverkauften, proppenvollen Kölner Jazzlocation die Golden Aera Of Chicago Blues mit dem Erwin Helfer Blues & Boogie Trio aus Chicago/USA. Erwin Helfer-Piano, Katherine Davis-Vocal, John Brumbach- Saxophone, Richard Bargel-Vocal+Sildeguitar.
Am Ende des Konzertes belohnten die hingerissenen Zuhörer die Musiker mit einer Standing Ovation und minutenlangem Applaus.
"Rock This House" - Mississippi Beat/Part 5 im Alten Pfandhaus-
Bei Richard Bargels Veranstaltung MISSISSIPPI BEAT/PART 5. feierte das Publikum in der ausverkauften, proppenvollen Kölner Jazzlocation die Golden Aera Of Chicago Blues mit dem Erwin Helfer Blues & Boogie Trio aus Chicago/USA. Erwin Helfer-Piano, Katherine Davis-Vocal, John Brumbach- Saxophone, Richard Bargel-Vocal+Sildeguitar.
Am Ende des Konzertes belohnten die hingerissenen Zuhörer die Musiker mit einer Standing Ovation und minutenlangem Applaus.
Bnois King *21.01.1943
Bnois King (Li) with Smoking Joe Kubek (R.I.P.)
b. 21 January 1943, Delhi, Louisiana, USA. Playing
guitar from around the age of eight, King heard gospel music in church
but leaned towards jazz having enjoyed the music played on local radio
stations. At high school he benefited from playing in a big band,
although, as he disarmingly commented to Internet interviewer Don O., he
hardly played his instrument, he just stood there and held it because
at that time, guitars were in. Hoping to develop a career in music he
moved to Houston, Texas, then Amarillo, Wichita Falls, gradually
building technical ability and confidence. In the early 70s he abandoned
music for a while but took up playing again in mid-decade. By 1979 he
was performing regularly in Dallas and Fort Worth, continuing into the
early 80s.
Around this time King encountered electric guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek but they did not get together until some time later. When they did, the two musicians found instant rapport, even though stylistically they were quite different: Kubek, rock-influenced and aggressive; King, jazz-influenced and relaxed. By the end of the 80s they were teamed up on a regular basis and touring extensively, if to little financial reward. Along the way, King began singing occasional songs during the duo’s gigs and found strongly approving audience response. Building his vocal repertoire from neglected blues songs, the following for their unusual blending of subtle jazz-inflected playing and attacking no-holds-barred power continued to grow. Their tours continued and their albums expanded their audience still further afield. By the early 00s, King and Kubek were hugely popular and showing no loss of enthusiasm for their peripatetic lifestyle and always intriguing approach to the blues.
Around this time King encountered electric guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek but they did not get together until some time later. When they did, the two musicians found instant rapport, even though stylistically they were quite different: Kubek, rock-influenced and aggressive; King, jazz-influenced and relaxed. By the end of the 80s they were teamed up on a regular basis and touring extensively, if to little financial reward. Along the way, King began singing occasional songs during the duo’s gigs and found strongly approving audience response. Building his vocal repertoire from neglected blues songs, the following for their unusual blending of subtle jazz-inflected playing and attacking no-holds-barred power continued to grow. Their tours continued and their albums expanded their audience still further afield. By the early 00s, King and Kubek were hugely popular and showing no loss of enthusiasm for their peripatetic lifestyle and always intriguing approach to the blues.
Snooks Eaglin *21.01.1936
Snooks Eaglin (* 21. Januar 1936 in New Orleans als Fird Eaglin, Jr.; † 18. Februar 2009 ebd.) war ein afroamerikanischer Gitarrist und Sänger. In jungen Jahren wurde er auch Blind Snooks Eaglin genannt. Er hatte ein immenses Repertoire; nach eigenen Angaben konnte er um die 2.500 Stücke vortragen[1] – dies trug ihm die Bezeichnung „human jukebox“ ein.[2] Auf der Bühne hatte er gewöhnlich keine vorbereitete Titelfolge; er spielte, was ihm in den Sinn kam oder was das Publikum hören wollte. Seine Stücke deckten die verschiedensten Stilrichtungen ab, darunter Blues, Rock ’n’ Roll, Jazz, Country und Lateinamerikanische Musik. Sein Gesang glich dem von Ray Charles; in den 1950ern bezeichnete er sich zeitweise als „Little Ray Charles“.[1]
Biografie
Mit 19 Monaten verlor Eaglin sein Augenlicht aufgrund eines Glaukoms. Wegen verschiedener Krankheiten verbrachte er mehrere Jahre im Krankenhaus. Mit fünf Jahren bekam er von seinem Vater eine Gitarre, und er brachte sich selbst mithilfe des Radios das Spielen bei. Den Spitznamen „Snooks“ erhielt er nach der Radiofigur „Baby Snooks“.[1]
Die frühen Jahre
1947, mit 11 Jahren, gewann Eaglin einen Talentwettbewerb des Radiosenders WNOE. Drei Jahre später verließ er die Blindenschule und begann, als Musiker zu arbeiten. 1952 wurde er Mitglied der Flamingoes, der Band von Allen Toussaint. Er blieb in der Band bis zu deren Auflösung Mitte der 1950er.[1]
Erste Aufnahmen machte Eaglin 1953 als Begleitmusiker von James „Sugar Boy“ Crawford. Seine ersten Aufnahmen unter eigenem Namen entstanden zwischen 1958 und 1960 in sieben Sitzungen, die der Folkloreforscher Harry Oster organisierte. Es waren akustische Bluesnummern, die später mehrfach veröffentlicht wurden.[1]
1960er und 1970er Jahre
Von 1960 bis 1963 nahm Eaglin insgesamt 26 Stücke für Imperial Records auf. Er spielte elektrische Gitarre, zu seiner Band gehörten James Booker am Piano und Smokey Johnson am Schlagzeug. Dave Bartholomew hatte einen guten Teil der Titel geschrieben. Es handelte sich durchweg um Rhythm & Blues, für den Eaglin heute am bekanntesten ist.[1] 1964 machte Eaglin zu Hause Aufnahmen für eine schwedische Veröffentlichung.
Die nächsten Aufnahmen kamen erst 1971, wiederum für ein schwedisches Label. Das Album Down Yonder mit Ellis Marsalis am Piano erschien 1978. Neben seinen eigenen Arbeiten beteiligte Eaglin sich an Professor Longhairs Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge (1971-72) sowie am Debütalbum der Wild Magnolias (erschienen 1974).[1]
Black Top und die späten Jahre
Zwischen 1987 und 1999 nahm Eaglin vier Studio- und ein Live-Album für das Label Black Top Records der Brüder Nauman und Hammond Scott auf. Als Gastmusiker spielte er für andere Black-Top-Künstler, darunter Henry Butler, Earl King und Tommy Ridgley.
Nach dem Ende von Black Top Records veröffentlichte Eaglin The Way It Is bei Money Pit Records, produziert von den Scott-Brüdern, die Black Top betrieben hatten. 1997 wurde Eaglins Version des St. James Infirmary Blues in Großbritannien für einen Fernsehwerbespot eingesetzt.
Snooks Eaglin starb am 18. Februar 2009 nach einem Herzinfarkt im Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. 2008 war bei ihm Prostatakrebs diagnostiziert worden. Im Frühjahr 2009 sollte er beim New Orleans Jazz Fest wieder auftreten.
Snooks Eaglin (January 21, 1936[1][2][3][4] – February 18, 2009)[5] was an American, New Orleans-based guitarist and singer. He was also referred to as Blind Snooks Eaglin in his early years.
Born Fird Eaglin, Jr., his vocal style was reminiscent of Ray Charles; in the 1950s, when he was in his late teens, he would sometimes bill himself as "Little Ray Charles". Generally regarded as a legend of New Orleans music, he played a wide range of music within the same concert, album, or even song: blues, rock and roll, jazz, country, and Latin.[6] In his early years, he also played some straight-ahead acoustic blues.[6]
His ability to play a wide range of songs and make them his own earned him the nickname "the human jukebox." Eaglin claimed in interviews that his musical repertoire included some 2,500 songs.[1]
At live shows, he did not usually prepare set lists, and was unpredictable, even to his bandmates. He played songs that came to his head, and he also took requests from the audience.
Career
Childhood
Eaglin lost his sight not long after his first birthday after being stricken with glaucoma, and spent several years in the hospital with other ailments. Around the age of five Eaglin received a guitar from his father; he taught himself to play by listening to and playing along with the radio. A mischievous youngster, he was given the nickname "Snooks" after a radio character named Baby Snooks.
Early years
In 1947, at the age of 11, Eaglin won a talent contest organized by the radio station WNOE by playing "Twelfth Street Rag".[1][7][8] Three years later, he dropped out of the school for the blind to become a professional musician. In 1952, Eaglin joined the Flamingoes, a local seven-piece band started by Allen Toussaint. The Flamingoes did not have a bass player, and according to Eaglin, he played both the guitar and the bass parts at the same time on his guitar. He stayed with The Flamingoes for several years, until their dissolution in the mid-1950s.
As a solo artist, his recording and touring were inconsistent, and for a man with a career of about 50 years, his discography is rather slim. His first recording was in 1953, playing guitar at a recording session for James "Sugar Boy" Crawford.
The first recordings under his own name came when Harry Oster, a folklorist from Louisiana State University, found him playing in the streets of New Orleans. Oster made recordings of Eaglin between 1958 and 1960 during seven sessions which later became records on various labels including Folkways, Folklyric, and Prestige/Bluesville.[9] These recordings were in folk blues style, Eaglin with an acoustic guitar without a band.
1960s and 1970s
From 1960 to 1963, Eaglin recorded for Imperial.[6] He played electric guitar on Imperial sessions with backup from a band including James Booker on piano and Smokey Johnson on drums. He recorded a total of 26 tracks which can be heard on The Complete Imperial Recordings. Much of the material on Imperial was written by Dave Bartholomew. Unlike the Harry Oster recordings, these works on Imperial are New Orleans R&B in the style for which he is widely known today.[6] After Imperial, in 1964, he recorded alone at his home with a guitar for the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation, released as I Blueskvarter 1964: Vol.3.[10] For the remainder of the 1960s, he apparently made no recordings.
His next work came on the Swedish label Sonet in 1971. Another album Down Yonder was released in 1978 featuring Ellis Marsalis on piano. Apart from his own work, he joined recording sessions with Professor Longhair in 1971 and 72 (Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge). He also played guitar on The Wild Magnolias' first album recorded in 1973.
Black Top and later years
He joined Nauman and Hammond Scott of Black Top Records in the 1980s which led to a recording contract with the label.[6] Eaglin's Black Top years were the most consistent years of his recording career. Between 1987 and 1999, he recorded four studio albums and a live album, and appeared as a guest on a number of recordings by other Black Top artists, including Henry Butler, Earl King, and Tommy Ridgley.
After Black Top Records closed its doors, Eaglin released The Way It Is on Money Pit Records, produced by the same Scott brothers of Black Top. In 1997, Eaglin's version of "St. James Infirmary", was featured in a UK television advertisement for Budweiser lager.[11]
Death
Eaglin died of a heart attack at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans on February 18, 2009.[5][12] He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and had been hospitalized for treatment.[12][13] He was scheduled to make a comeback appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in Spring of 2009.[5][12] In honor of his contributions to New Orleans music, he was depicted in an artist's rendering on the cover of the "Jazz Fest Bible" edition of Offbeat magazine, for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2009.
For many years, Eaglin lived in St. Rose in the suburbs of New Orleans with his wife Dorothea. Though he did not play many live shows, he regularly performed at Rock n' Bowl in New Orleans, and also at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Born Fird Eaglin, Jr., his vocal style was reminiscent of Ray Charles; in the 1950s, when he was in his late teens, he would sometimes bill himself as "Little Ray Charles". Generally regarded as a legend of New Orleans music, he played a wide range of music within the same concert, album, or even song: blues, rock and roll, jazz, country, and Latin.[6] In his early years, he also played some straight-ahead acoustic blues.[6]
His ability to play a wide range of songs and make them his own earned him the nickname "the human jukebox." Eaglin claimed in interviews that his musical repertoire included some 2,500 songs.[1]
At live shows, he did not usually prepare set lists, and was unpredictable, even to his bandmates. He played songs that came to his head, and he also took requests from the audience.
Career
Childhood
Eaglin lost his sight not long after his first birthday after being stricken with glaucoma, and spent several years in the hospital with other ailments. Around the age of five Eaglin received a guitar from his father; he taught himself to play by listening to and playing along with the radio. A mischievous youngster, he was given the nickname "Snooks" after a radio character named Baby Snooks.
Early years
In 1947, at the age of 11, Eaglin won a talent contest organized by the radio station WNOE by playing "Twelfth Street Rag".[1][7][8] Three years later, he dropped out of the school for the blind to become a professional musician. In 1952, Eaglin joined the Flamingoes, a local seven-piece band started by Allen Toussaint. The Flamingoes did not have a bass player, and according to Eaglin, he played both the guitar and the bass parts at the same time on his guitar. He stayed with The Flamingoes for several years, until their dissolution in the mid-1950s.
As a solo artist, his recording and touring were inconsistent, and for a man with a career of about 50 years, his discography is rather slim. His first recording was in 1953, playing guitar at a recording session for James "Sugar Boy" Crawford.
The first recordings under his own name came when Harry Oster, a folklorist from Louisiana State University, found him playing in the streets of New Orleans. Oster made recordings of Eaglin between 1958 and 1960 during seven sessions which later became records on various labels including Folkways, Folklyric, and Prestige/Bluesville.[9] These recordings were in folk blues style, Eaglin with an acoustic guitar without a band.
1960s and 1970s
From 1960 to 1963, Eaglin recorded for Imperial.[6] He played electric guitar on Imperial sessions with backup from a band including James Booker on piano and Smokey Johnson on drums. He recorded a total of 26 tracks which can be heard on The Complete Imperial Recordings. Much of the material on Imperial was written by Dave Bartholomew. Unlike the Harry Oster recordings, these works on Imperial are New Orleans R&B in the style for which he is widely known today.[6] After Imperial, in 1964, he recorded alone at his home with a guitar for the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation, released as I Blueskvarter 1964: Vol.3.[10] For the remainder of the 1960s, he apparently made no recordings.
His next work came on the Swedish label Sonet in 1971. Another album Down Yonder was released in 1978 featuring Ellis Marsalis on piano. Apart from his own work, he joined recording sessions with Professor Longhair in 1971 and 72 (Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge). He also played guitar on The Wild Magnolias' first album recorded in 1973.
Black Top and later years
He joined Nauman and Hammond Scott of Black Top Records in the 1980s which led to a recording contract with the label.[6] Eaglin's Black Top years were the most consistent years of his recording career. Between 1987 and 1999, he recorded four studio albums and a live album, and appeared as a guest on a number of recordings by other Black Top artists, including Henry Butler, Earl King, and Tommy Ridgley.
After Black Top Records closed its doors, Eaglin released The Way It Is on Money Pit Records, produced by the same Scott brothers of Black Top. In 1997, Eaglin's version of "St. James Infirmary", was featured in a UK television advertisement for Budweiser lager.[11]
Death
Eaglin died of a heart attack at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans on February 18, 2009.[5][12] He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and had been hospitalized for treatment.[12][13] He was scheduled to make a comeback appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in Spring of 2009.[5][12] In honor of his contributions to New Orleans music, he was depicted in an artist's rendering on the cover of the "Jazz Fest Bible" edition of Offbeat magazine, for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2009.
For many years, Eaglin lived in St. Rose in the suburbs of New Orleans with his wife Dorothea. Though he did not play many live shows, he regularly performed at Rock n' Bowl in New Orleans, and also at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Zora Young *21.01.1948
Zora Young (* 21. Januar 1948 in West Point, Mississippi) ist eine US-amerikanische Blues-Sängerin. Sie ist eine entfernte Verwandte von Howlin' Wolf.[1]
Biografie
Bereits in jungen Jahren sang Zora Young Gospel-Lieder. Als sie sieben Jahre alt war, zog ihre Familie nach Chicago, wo sie im Kirchenchor sang. Erst relativ spät begann sie, R&B und Blues zu entdecken.[1]
In ihrer langen Karriere trat sie mit vielen bekannten Künstlern auf, darunter Junior Wells, Jimmy Dawkins, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Albert King, B. B. King und viele andere. Zu den Musikern, mit denen sie Aufnahmen machte, zählen Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim, Paul deLay und etliche mehr.[1]
Ihr erstes eigenes Album, Travelin‘ Light, erschien 1991. Sie war mehr als 30 Mal in Europa auf Tour und ist ein beliebter Gast bei großen Blues-Festivals.
Zora Young (born January 21, 1948, West Point, Mississippi, United States)[1] is an American blues singer. She is a distant relative of Howlin' Wolf.[2]
Young's family moved to Chicago at age seven and sang gospel at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church.[1] As an adult she began singing blues and R&B music, and over the course of her career played with Junior Wells, Jimmy Dawkins, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Professor Eddie Lusk, and B. B. King. Among those she has collaborated with on record are Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim, Mississippi Heat, Paul DeLay, and Maurice John Vaughan.[1]
In 1982, she toured Europe on the bill with Bonnie Lee and Big Time Sarah in 'Blues with the Girls', and then recorded an album in Paris, France. She was later cast in the role of Bessie Smith in the stage show, The Heart of the Blues. By 1991 she had recorded the album, Travelin' Light, with the Canadian guitar player, Colin Linden.[2]
Young has toured Europe more than thirty times, in addition to appearances in Turkey and Taiwan. She was the featured performer at the Chicago Blues Festival six times.[1]
In 2014, she was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)' category.
Glenn Kaiser *21.01.1953
Glenn Kaiser (* 21. Januar 1953 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin)[1] ist ein US-amerikanischer christlicher Blues-, R&B- und Bluesrock-Gitarrist, Singer-Songwriter und Pastor. Kaiser wurde mit der Resurrection Band bekannt und gründete im Jahr 1999 die Glenn Kaiser Band. Neben elektrischer und akustischer Gitarre spielt er Lap-Steel-Gitarre und Mundharmonika.
Leben und Karriere
Glenn Kaiser wurde als jüngstes von drei Kindern geboren. Seine Eltern trennten sich, als er neun Jahre alt war. Im Alter von zwölf Jahren wurde er in der Musikszene von Milwaukee aktiv. Kaiser gehörte insgesamt zwölf verschiedenen Gruppen an, bis er neunzehn Jahre alt war; darunter waren zwei von ihm geleitete Bands.Glenn Kaiser wuchs als Lutheraner auf und experimentierte mit Drogen, bevor er um seinen achtzehnten Geburtstag Anhänger der Erweckungsbewegung wurde. “Nothing else gave me so much happiness or sense of purpose until I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and become absolute Lord of my life.” (Glenn Kaiser, deutsch: „Nichts gab mir so viel Freude und Bestimmung wie meine Bitte an Jesus Christus, mich zu erlösen und mein Herr zu sein“)[2]
Kaiser trat den Jesus-People in Milwaukee bei, die sich später in Jesus People USA umbenannten. In deren USA Traveling Team traf er seine spätere Ehefrau Wendi Herrin. Ihr Bruder, John Herrin Jr., und Glenn Kaiser wurden Mitglieder des Pastoralteams der Jesus People, noch bevor sie 25 Jahre alt waren.[2] Die Jesus People USA sind die Organisatoren des Cornerstone Festival, bei dem Glenn Kaiser wiederholt mit verschiedenen Gruppen auftrat.
Glenn Kaiser als Leadsänger der Resurrection Band
Glenn Kaisers erfolgreichste und bekannteste Gruppe ist die im Jahr 1971 gegründete Resurrection Band, die ursprünglich unter dem Namen Charity als Teil des USA Traveling Teams der Jesus People durch die Vereinigten Staaten reiste. Im Frühjahr 1972 benannte sich die Gruppe um in Resurrection Band und verlegte ihre Aktivitäten kurz darauf nach Chicago. Kaiser heiratete im Juni 1972 Wendi Herrin, die ebenfalls Mitglied der Resurrection Band war. Wendi und Glenn Kaiser haben zusammen vier Kinder.[2]
Im Jahr 1994 veröffentlichte Glenn Kaiser das Buch The Responsibility of the Christian Musician.[3]
Die Resurrection Band löste sich nach fast dreißig Jahren im Jahr 2000 auf. Kurz zuvor hatte Kaiser im Jahr 1999 gemeinsam mit Roy Montroy und Ed Bialach die Glenn Kaiser Band als Bluesrock-Trio gegründet. Auftritte führten die Gruppe unter anderem mehrfach nach Europa, darunter im Jahr 2012 in die Schweiz, nach Deutschland und in die Niederlande.[4] Im Jahr 2008 trat die frühere Resurrection Band zum 25. Jubiläum des Cornerstone Festivals nochmals zusammen auf.
Glenn Kaiser spielt unter anderem die Gitarrenmodelle Fender Stratocaster, Epiphone Sheraton und Gibson Les Paul.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Kaiser
Glenn Kaiser (born January 21, 1953[1]) is a Chicago-based Christian blues musician, singer-songwriter and pastor. He was the leader of Resurrection Band and is currently the leader of The Glenn Kaiser Band.
Personal life
Childhood
Kaiser's older brother and sister left the house while he was still young[2] and his parents divorced when he was nine years old. Kaiser was active in Milwaukee's music scene, starting at the age of twelve, and was a member of more than twelve bands, leading two, before reaching nineteen years of age.[3]
Glenn Kaiser was raised as a nominal Lutheran and used drugs before he became a born-again Christian, around the time of his eighteenth birthday.[2][3] He was quoted as saying: "Nothing else gave me so much happiness or sense of purpose until I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and become absolute Lord of my life.[2]"
JPUSA
Kaiser joined and got involved in The USA Traveling Team of Jesus People Milwaukee (later renamed Jesus People USA [1]), where he met Wendi, his future wife. Wendi's brother, John Herrin, Jr., and Glenn later became members of the pastoral team before the age of twenty-five.[2] JPUSA is the community that organizes the Cornerstone Festival, at which Glenn Kaiser and Resurrection Band have played.
Later life
Glenn Kaiser married former Resurrection Band member Wendi Herrin (born April 8, 1953[1]) in June 1972.[4] Glenn and Wendi have one son, Aaron, and three daughters: Rebecca (husband Timothy), Heidi, and Ami (husband Brian).[1] In 1994 Glenn Kaiser published a book, The Responsibility of the Christian Musician.[5]
Resurrection Band
Glenn Kaiser's most successful and prominent band is Resurrection Band. Personnel included his wife Wendi, Wendi's brother John Herrin, Jim Denton, who was later replaced by Roy Montroy in 1987, and Stu Heiss. It began in mid-December 1971 as a band of the Jesus People of Milwaukee (part of The USA Traveling Team) and was first known as "Charity" (the King James Bible term for "love"). It was a traveling team and a mobile outreach of Jesus People of Milwaukee until the ministry disbanded in the summer of 1972. "Charity" changed its name to "Resurrection Band" around March 1972 and the band, as part of The USA Traveling Team left Milwaukee for the last time in early June 1972. They performed on the road for a few months, while loosely-based in Florida, before calling Chicago home in early 1973 with Jesus People USA. Though many considered it "the devil's music",[2] Resurrection Band helped the movement of contemporary Christian music towards blues and rock music. It disbanded, after nearly thirty years, in 2000.
Although the band did break up in 2000, they have subsequently reunited for a few shows. Resurrection Band performed at Cornerstone Festival 2008 for the festival's 25th anniversary and also performed at the Chelsea House, a Chicago coffeehouse run by JPUSA. The key members of the band were the same at both shows, but Mike Choby (the bassist for Maron, another Jesus People USA band) filled in on keyboards.
Personal life
Childhood
Kaiser's older brother and sister left the house while he was still young[2] and his parents divorced when he was nine years old. Kaiser was active in Milwaukee's music scene, starting at the age of twelve, and was a member of more than twelve bands, leading two, before reaching nineteen years of age.[3]
Glenn Kaiser was raised as a nominal Lutheran and used drugs before he became a born-again Christian, around the time of his eighteenth birthday.[2][3] He was quoted as saying: "Nothing else gave me so much happiness or sense of purpose until I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and become absolute Lord of my life.[2]"
JPUSA
Kaiser joined and got involved in The USA Traveling Team of Jesus People Milwaukee (later renamed Jesus People USA [1]), where he met Wendi, his future wife. Wendi's brother, John Herrin, Jr., and Glenn later became members of the pastoral team before the age of twenty-five.[2] JPUSA is the community that organizes the Cornerstone Festival, at which Glenn Kaiser and Resurrection Band have played.
Later life
Glenn Kaiser married former Resurrection Band member Wendi Herrin (born April 8, 1953[1]) in June 1972.[4] Glenn and Wendi have one son, Aaron, and three daughters: Rebecca (husband Timothy), Heidi, and Ami (husband Brian).[1] In 1994 Glenn Kaiser published a book, The Responsibility of the Christian Musician.[5]
Resurrection Band
Glenn Kaiser's most successful and prominent band is Resurrection Band. Personnel included his wife Wendi, Wendi's brother John Herrin, Jim Denton, who was later replaced by Roy Montroy in 1987, and Stu Heiss. It began in mid-December 1971 as a band of the Jesus People of Milwaukee (part of The USA Traveling Team) and was first known as "Charity" (the King James Bible term for "love"). It was a traveling team and a mobile outreach of Jesus People of Milwaukee until the ministry disbanded in the summer of 1972. "Charity" changed its name to "Resurrection Band" around March 1972 and the band, as part of The USA Traveling Team left Milwaukee for the last time in early June 1972. They performed on the road for a few months, while loosely-based in Florida, before calling Chicago home in early 1973 with Jesus People USA. Though many considered it "the devil's music",[2] Resurrection Band helped the movement of contemporary Christian music towards blues and rock music. It disbanded, after nearly thirty years, in 2000.
Although the band did break up in 2000, they have subsequently reunited for a few shows. Resurrection Band performed at Cornerstone Festival 2008 for the festival's 25th anniversary and also performed at the Chelsea House, a Chicago coffeehouse run by JPUSA. The key members of the band were the same at both shows, but Mike Choby (the bassist for Maron, another Jesus People USA band) filled in on keyboards.
Glenn Kaiser Band Crossroads live
R.I.P.
Champion Jack Dupree +21.01.1992
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Champion Jack Dupree (* 23. Oktober 1909[1] in New Orleans; † 21. Januar 1992 in Hannover) war ein amerikanischer Blues-Sänger und -Pianist.Leben und Wirken
Champion Jack Dupree
Nachdem seine Eltern durch ein Feuer ums Leben gekommen waren, kam Dupree im Alter von zwei Jahren in das gleiche Kindererziehungsheim in New Orleans, in dem zuvor schon Louis Armstrong einige Jugendjahre verbracht hatte. Das Bluesspiel lernte er bei dem Barrelhouse-Pianisten Willie „Drive ’em down“ Hall. Ab 1930 lebte er zunächst in Chicago, danach in Detroit. 1935 wurde er Boxer in Indianapolis und absolvierte 107 Kämpfe.
Seine erste Aufnahmesession fand am 13. Juni 1940 in Chicago statt. Mit dem Warehouse Man Blues / Chain Gang Blues entstand seine erste von 10 Singles für OKeh Records, denen er bis Ende 1945 treu blieb. Hier wurde am 28. Januar 1941 als OKeh #06152 auch der von Willie Hall komponierte Junker Blues, veröffentlicht im April 1941, aufgenommen. Der Song bildete später die Grundlage für Fats Dominos erste Platte, The Fat Man und für Lawdy Miss Clawdy von Lloyd Price.
Im Zweiten Weltkrieg diente er ab 1943 als Schiffskoch bei der Marine im Pazifik. Nach zwei Jahren japanischer Kriegsgefangenschaft kehrte er 1946 in die USA zurück und widmete sich wieder der Blues-Musik. Dupree entwickelte sich nunmehr zu einem Label-Hopper, der für nur wenige Schallplattenaufnahmen bei einem Plattenlabel blieb, um dann wieder zu wechseln. Von Lenox über Continental wanderte er zu Solo Records, ohne dass dies zu einem messbaren Erfolg in den Rhythm & Blues-Charts geführt hätte. Erst beim zehnten Plattenlabel King Records entstand mit Walking the Blues / Daybreak Rock am 29. Mai 1955 (King #4812) der einzige Hit (Rang #6 der R&B-Charts) innerhalb Duprees langjähriger Plattenkarriere.
In den 1960er und 1970er Jahren lebte er in England und machte unter anderem Aufnahmen mit Eric Clapton und John Mayall. Er war verheiratet und hatte zwei leibliche Töchter und eine Adoptivtochter. Seit 1976 lebte er in Hannover, zuletzt im Hochhaus Lister Tor, und unternahm von hier aus bis zu seinem Tod etliche Tourneen, vor allem in Europa. Während er jedoch in den 1970er Jahren noch auf großen Bühnen und Festivals auftrat, wie 1971 beim Jazz-Festival in Montreux, fand man ihn in den 1980er Jahren auch auf wenig renommierten Bühnen, wo er, in eine sonderbare Verkleidung gesteckt, vor einer Handvoll Zuschauern spielte. In den Pausen erzählte er dem Publikum von seinen Kindheitserlebnissen mit dem Ku-Klux-Klan. 1990 kehrte er nach 36 Jahren zum ersten Mal nach New Orleans zurück. Dort entstanden die Aufnahmen für das Album Back Home In New Orleans.
William Thomas Dupree, best known as Champion Jack Dupree, was an American blues pianist. His birth date has been given as July 4, July 10, and July 23, 1908, 1909, or 1910. He died on January 21, 1992.
Biography
Champion Jack Dupree was a New Orleans blues and boogie-woogie pianist, a barrelhouse "professor". His father was from the Belgian Congo and his mother was part African American and Cherokee. He was orphaned at the age of two, and sent to the New Orleans Home for Colored Waifs, the alma mater of Louis Armstrong.
He taught himself piano there and later apprenticed with Tuts Washington and Willie Hall,[1][2] whom he called his 'father' and from whom he learned "Junker's Blues". He was also "spy boy" for the Yellow Pochahantas tribe of Mardi Gras Indians and soon began playing in barrelhouses and other drinking establishments.
He began a life of travelling, living in Chicago, where he worked with Georgia Tom, and in Indianapolis, Indiana where he met Scrapper Blackwell and Leroy Carr. While always playing piano he also worked as a cook. In Detroit, after Joe Louis encouraged him to become a boxer, he fought in 107 bouts, winning Golden Gloves and other championships and picking up the nickname 'Champion Jack', which he used the rest of his life.
He returned to Chicago at the age of 30 and joined a circle of recording artists, including Big Bill Broonzy and Tampa Red, who introduced him to the record producer Lester Melrose, who claimed composer credit and publishing on many of Dupree's songs. Dupree's career was interrupted by military service in World War II. He was a cook in the United States Navy and spent two years as a Japanese prisoner of war.
Afterwards his biggest commercial success was "Walkin' the Blues", which he recorded as a duet with Teddy McRae. This led to several national tours, and eventually to a European tour.
Dupree moved to Europe in 1960, first settling in Switzerland and then Denmark, England, Sweden and, finally, Germany.[3] During the 1970s and 1980s he lived at Ovenden in Halifax, England,[4] and a piano used by Dupree was later re-discovered at Calderdale College in Halifax.[5] Dupree continued to record in Europe with Kenn Lending Band, Louisiana Red and Axel Zwingenberger and made many live appearances, still working as a cook specializing in New Orleans cuisine. He returned to the United States from time to time and appeared at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Dupree died of cancer on January 21, 1992 in Hanover, Germany.
Musical style and output
Dupree's playing was almost all straight blues and boogie-woogie. He was not a sophisticated musician or singer, but he had a wry and clever way with words: "Mama, move your false teeth, papa wanna scratch your gums." He sometimes sang as if he had a cleft palate and even recorded under the name Harelip Jack Dupree. This was an artistic conceit, as Dupree had excellent, clear articulation, particularly for a blues singer. Dupree would occasionally indulge in a vocalese style of sung word play, similar to Slim Gaillard's "Vout", as in his "Mr. Dupree Blues" included on The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions album.
He sang about life, jail, drinking and drug addiction; although he himself was a light drinker and did not use other drugs. His "Junker's Blues" was also transmogrified by Fats Domino into his first hit, "The Fat Man".[3] Dupree's songs included not only gloomy topics, such as "TB Blues" and "Angola Blues" (about Angola Prison, the infamous Louisiana prison farm), but also cheerful subjects like the "Dupree Shake Dance": "Come on, mama, on your hands and knees, do that shake dance as you please".
On his best known album, Blues from the Gutter for Atlantic, in 1959 he was accompanied on guitar by Larry Dale, whose playing on that record inspired Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones. Dupree was also noted as a raconteur and transformed many of his stories into songs. "Big Leg Emma's" takes its place in the roots of rap music as the rhymed tale of a police raid on a barrelhouse. In later years he recorded with John Mayall, Mick Taylor, Eric Clapton and The Band.[3]
Although Jerry Lee Lewis did not record Dupree's "Shake Baby Shake", the lyrics in his version of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - "You can shake it one time for me!" - echo Dupree's song.
Although best known as a singer and pianist in the New Orleans style, Dupree occasionally pursued more musically adventurous projects, including Dupree `n` McPhee, a collaboration with English guitarist Tony McPhee, recorded for Blue Horizon Records.
Biography
Champion Jack Dupree was a New Orleans blues and boogie-woogie pianist, a barrelhouse "professor". His father was from the Belgian Congo and his mother was part African American and Cherokee. He was orphaned at the age of two, and sent to the New Orleans Home for Colored Waifs, the alma mater of Louis Armstrong.
He taught himself piano there and later apprenticed with Tuts Washington and Willie Hall,[1][2] whom he called his 'father' and from whom he learned "Junker's Blues". He was also "spy boy" for the Yellow Pochahantas tribe of Mardi Gras Indians and soon began playing in barrelhouses and other drinking establishments.
He began a life of travelling, living in Chicago, where he worked with Georgia Tom, and in Indianapolis, Indiana where he met Scrapper Blackwell and Leroy Carr. While always playing piano he also worked as a cook. In Detroit, after Joe Louis encouraged him to become a boxer, he fought in 107 bouts, winning Golden Gloves and other championships and picking up the nickname 'Champion Jack', which he used the rest of his life.
He returned to Chicago at the age of 30 and joined a circle of recording artists, including Big Bill Broonzy and Tampa Red, who introduced him to the record producer Lester Melrose, who claimed composer credit and publishing on many of Dupree's songs. Dupree's career was interrupted by military service in World War II. He was a cook in the United States Navy and spent two years as a Japanese prisoner of war.
Afterwards his biggest commercial success was "Walkin' the Blues", which he recorded as a duet with Teddy McRae. This led to several national tours, and eventually to a European tour.
Dupree moved to Europe in 1960, first settling in Switzerland and then Denmark, England, Sweden and, finally, Germany.[3] During the 1970s and 1980s he lived at Ovenden in Halifax, England,[4] and a piano used by Dupree was later re-discovered at Calderdale College in Halifax.[5] Dupree continued to record in Europe with Kenn Lending Band, Louisiana Red and Axel Zwingenberger and made many live appearances, still working as a cook specializing in New Orleans cuisine. He returned to the United States from time to time and appeared at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Dupree died of cancer on January 21, 1992 in Hanover, Germany.
Musical style and output
Dupree's playing was almost all straight blues and boogie-woogie. He was not a sophisticated musician or singer, but he had a wry and clever way with words: "Mama, move your false teeth, papa wanna scratch your gums." He sometimes sang as if he had a cleft palate and even recorded under the name Harelip Jack Dupree. This was an artistic conceit, as Dupree had excellent, clear articulation, particularly for a blues singer. Dupree would occasionally indulge in a vocalese style of sung word play, similar to Slim Gaillard's "Vout", as in his "Mr. Dupree Blues" included on The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions album.
He sang about life, jail, drinking and drug addiction; although he himself was a light drinker and did not use other drugs. His "Junker's Blues" was also transmogrified by Fats Domino into his first hit, "The Fat Man".[3] Dupree's songs included not only gloomy topics, such as "TB Blues" and "Angola Blues" (about Angola Prison, the infamous Louisiana prison farm), but also cheerful subjects like the "Dupree Shake Dance": "Come on, mama, on your hands and knees, do that shake dance as you please".
On his best known album, Blues from the Gutter for Atlantic, in 1959 he was accompanied on guitar by Larry Dale, whose playing on that record inspired Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones. Dupree was also noted as a raconteur and transformed many of his stories into songs. "Big Leg Emma's" takes its place in the roots of rap music as the rhymed tale of a police raid on a barrelhouse. In later years he recorded with John Mayall, Mick Taylor, Eric Clapton and The Band.[3]
Although Jerry Lee Lewis did not record Dupree's "Shake Baby Shake", the lyrics in his version of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - "You can shake it one time for me!" - echo Dupree's song.
Although best known as a singer and pianist in the New Orleans style, Dupree occasionally pursued more musically adventurous projects, including Dupree `n` McPhee, a collaboration with English guitarist Tony McPhee, recorded for Blue Horizon Records.
Champion Jack Dupree, am Ende des Auftritts begleitet von Axel und Torsten Zwingenberger
Aufgenommen am 8.8.1988 in der Fabrik in Hamburg
Charles Brown +21.01.1999
Charles Brown (* 13. September 1922 in Texas City; † 21. Januar 1999 in Oakland) war ein US-amerikanischer Blues-Balladen-Sänger der 1940er und 1950er Jahre, der in den 1990er Jahren ein großartiges Comeback erlebte.
Leben
Schon früh bekam Charles Brown klassischen Klavierunterricht und trat Ende der 30er Jahre mit seiner Band in der Umgebung seines Geburtsortes auf. Er arbeitete später als Chemie-Lehrer, bis er 1943 nach Los Angeles umzog und an einem Talentwettbewerb für Musiker teilnahm. 1944 trat er den Three Blazers bei, wo er unter anderem auch Johnny Moore kennenlernte. 1946 trennte er sich von der Band und gründete ein eigenes Trio. In dieser Zeit machte er auch seine ersten Plattenaufnahmen für Aladdin Records, darunter der Klassiker Drifting Blues, den er selbst geschrieben hatte.
Karriere
Anfang der 50er Jahre tourte Brown durch die Vereinigten Staaten, teilweise in einer Show mit Johnny Ace. Inzwischen wurden seine Songs von verschiedenen Größen der Rockmusik der 50er Jahre interpretiert, darunter B.B. King, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino und Ray Charles, der Brown als ein großes Vorbild für sich bezeichnete. Weihnachten 1961 kam er schließlich erstmals in die Pop-Charts: er schaffte einen Platz 76 mit der Single Please Come Home For Christmas. Nach Meinungsverschiedenheiten mit der amerikanischen Musikergewerkschaft wurden seine Songs zwei Jahre lang nicht gespielt.
In den 70ern trat Brown zunächst noch regelmäßig auf, darunter mit T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn und Johnny Otis, arbeitete später jedoch nur noch als Fensterputzer und Hausmeister. 1976 konnte Brown nach seinem Auftritt beim San Francisco Blues Festival ein Comeback starten. Als Folge dessen tourte er durch Texas, Louisiana und Mississippi und spielte auf dem Sacramento Blues Festival. Doch schon bald ließ das Interesse an Brown wieder nach. Er zog jedoch weiterhin durch die USA, spielte in verschiedenen Clubs, bis die LP One More For The Road von 1989 endlich Beachtung erlangte.
Comeback
Das 1990er Album All My Life, mit Ruth Brown und Dr. John als Stargästen, bekam ausgezeichnete Kritiken und wurde von Down Beat zum Blues-Album des Jahres gekrönt. Someone To Love von 1992, mit den Gaststars Bonnie Raitt und Elvis Costello, wurde für einen Grammy nominiert und erhielt einen Handy Award. Auch Just A Lucky So-And-So (1993) und These Blues (1994) ernteten Anerkennung. 1996 wurde Brown in die Blues Hall of Fame aufgenommen. Days of our Drive / Sweet Piece of Ass wurde in die Wireliste The Wire's "100 Records That Set The World On Fire (While No One Was Listening)" aufgenommen.
Tod
Am 21. Januar 1999 starb Charles Brown an einem Herzfehler, er wurde noch im selben Jahr postum in der Kategorie „Frühe Einflüsse“ in die Rock and Roll Hall of Fame aufgenommen. Er liegt auf dem Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood bei Los Angeles begraben.
Tony Russell "Charles" Brown (September 13, 1922 – January 21, 1999), born in Texas City, Texas was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s. He had several hit recordings, including "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby".[2]
History
In the late 1940s, a rising demand for blues was driven by an increasing white teenage audience in the South which quickly spread north and west. Blues singers such as Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris and Roy Brown were getting much of the attention, but what writer Charles Keil dubs "the postwar Texas clean-up movement in blues" was also beginning to have an influence, driven by Blues artists such as T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn and Charles Brown. Their singing was lighter, more relaxed and they worked with bands and combos that had saxophone sections and used arrangements.[3]
Early life
Born in Texas City, Texas, Brown graduated from Central High School of Galveston, Texas in 1939 and Prairie View A&M College in 1942 with a degree in chemistry. He then became a chemistry teacher at George Washington Carver High School of Baytown, Texas, a mustard gas worker at the Pine Bluff Arsenal at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and an apprentice electrician at a shipyard in Richmond, California before settling in Los Angeles in 1943.[1]
Career
As a child, Brown demonstrated his love of music and took classical piano lessons. Early on, Brown moved out to Los Angeles, where the great influx of blacks created an integrated nightclub scene in which black performers tended to minimize the rougher blues elements of their style. The blues club style of a light rhythm bass and right-hand tinkling of the piano and smooth vocals became popular, epitomized by the jazz piano of Nat King Cole. When Cole left Los Angeles to perform nationally, his place was taken by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown's gentle piano and vocals.[4]
Brown signed with Aladdin Records and his 1945 recording of, "Driftin' Blues", with a small combo on that record label went on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart for six months, putting Brown at the forefront of a musical evolution that changed American musical performance.[5] His style dominated the influential Southern California club scene on Central Avenue during that period and he influenced such performers as Floyd Dixon, Cecil Gant, Ivory Joe Hunter, Percy Mayfield, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles.[4]
"Driftin' Blues" was the first of several hits. Brown subsequently released "Get Yourself Another Fool", "Black Night", "Hard Times" and "Trouble Blues", all major hits in the early 1950s on such labels as Modern Records as well as Aladdin.[2] Though he was unable to compete with the burgeoning rock and roll sound that was increasing in popularity, he managed to maintain a small, devoted audience. Additionally, his songs were covered by the likes of John Lee Hooker and Lowell Fulson.
Brown's approach was too mellow to survive the transition to rock's harsher rhythms, and he faded from the national limelight. His "Please Come Home for Christmas", a hit in 1960 on the King Records remained seasonally popular.[2] "Please Come Home for Christmas" sold over one million copies by 1968, and was awarded a gold disc in that year.[6] During the 1960s Brown recorded a couple of albums for Mainstream Records.
In the 1980s he made a series of appearances at New York City nightclub Tramps. As a result of these appearances he signed a new recording contract with Blue Side Records and recorded One More for the Road in three days. Blue Side Records closed soon after but distribution was picked up by Alligator Records. Soon after the success of One More for the Road, Bonnie Raitt helped usher in a Charles Brown comeback tour.[7]
He began a recording and performing career again, under the musical direction of guitarist Danny Caron, to greater success than he had achieved since the 1950s. Other members of Charles' touring ensemble included Clifford Solomon on tenor saxophone, Ruth Davies on bass and Gaylord Birch on drums. [2] Several records received Grammy Award nominations.
He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,[8] and received both the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship[9] and the W. C. Handy Award.[10]
Brown died of congestive heart failure in 1999 in Oakland, California,[11] and was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.[7]
Francis Clay +21.01.2008
Francis Clay (November 16, 1923 – January 21, 2008), was a jazz and blues drummer, best known for his work behind Muddy Waters in the '50s and '60s and as an original member of the James Cotton band. Clay's jazz-influenced style is cited as an influence by many of the British Invasion rock 'n' rollers of the '60s such as Charlie Watts[1] and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones and Faces, respectively.
Born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois, he started playing jazz, professionally at the age of 15, played drums behind many of the biggest names of 20th century popular American music.
In his career, Clay claimed to have backed Gypsy Rose Lee, and played with Jay McShann and Charlie Parker early on and with Jimi Hendrix while in New York's Greenwich Village. He can be heard on recordings including John Lee Hooker's Live at the Cafe Au Go-Go and can be seen and heard on documents from the Waters band's 1960 Newport Jazz Festival appearance and on albums issued by the El Cerrito, California Arhoolie label by Big Mama Thornton and Lightning Hopkins, among many others.
Clay made his home in San Francisco in the late 1960s and became a part of the music scene in the Bay Area throughout the rest of his life. His birthday parties at the Biscuits and Blues nightclub were an annual gathering of the tribe, and he was known also as "the ambassador" at the annual San Francisco Blues Festival, where he was the subject of a tribute in 2007, and mourned in 2008.
Clay claimed to have been deprived of recognition for his compositional contributions to the Waters oeuvre. Songs he claimed to have composed and/or arranged included "Walking in the Park," "She's Nineteen Years Old" and "Tiger in Your Hole."
Muddy Waters Band, Got My Mojo Working---Live at Newport Jazz Festival, July 3 1960
Legendary song and a legendary Concert.
The original footage has been edited, using the original Chess stereo live recording, by the producers of the DVD "Muddy Waters Classic concerts" (please consider buying it, money well spent).
Muddy was definitely the real King of Blues.
The Band:
Pat Hare (Guitar)
Otis Spann (Piano)
James Cotton (Harmonica)
Andrew Stephenson (Bass)
Francis Clay (Drums)
The original footage has been edited, using the original Chess stereo live recording, by the producers of the DVD "Muddy Waters Classic concerts" (please consider buying it, money well spent).
Muddy was definitely the real King of Blues.
The Band:
Pat Hare (Guitar)
Otis Spann (Piano)
James Cotton (Harmonica)
Andrew Stephenson (Bass)
Francis Clay (Drums)
Jackie Wilson +21.01.1984
Jackie Wilson (* 9. Juni 1934 in Detroit; † 21. Januar 1984 in Mount Holly, New Jersey) war ein US-amerikanischer Rhythm and Blues- und Soul-Sänger der 1950er und 1960er Jahre.
Leben
Bereits in jungen Jahren erhielt er eine hohe Auszeichnung für Amateurboxer und zuerst wollte er diese Karriere fortsetzen, doch seine Mutter überzeugte ihn von seinem Gesangstalent und stimmte ihn schließlich um. Nach einer kurzen Zeit bei den „Ready Gospel Singers“ schloss er sich den „Thrillers“ an, wo er auch Hank Ballard kennenlernte. Als Wilson 1951 an einem Talentwettbewerb teilnahm, wurde Johnny Otis auf ihn aufmerksam. In der Folge davon nahm er unter der Leitung von Billy Ward zwei Lieder als „Sonny Wilson“ für das Label Dee Gee Records auf und ersetzte 1953 sein Vorbild Clyde McPhatter, der zu den Drifters wechselte, bei Billy Ward and the Dominoes. Bei denen blieb er jedoch nicht lange. Stattdessen unterschrieb er 1956 einen Vertrag bei Brunswick Records. In den Folgejahren hatte er einige Hits, die größtenteils Berry Gordy, Jr. geschrieben hatte, der bekannteste von ihnen war das flotte Reet Petite aus dem Jahre 1957. Bei Balladen wie To Be Loved bewies Wilson außerdem Talent als Crooner.
Etwas später lernte Wilson Alan Freed kennen, bei dessen Weihnachts-Rock-’n’-Roll-Konzert er dabei war. Er sang auch den Song You Better Know It in Freeds Film Go Johnny Go. Wilsons Live-Auftritte erinnerten an die James Browns: Er spielte mit seiner Stimme, sang sanft und leise und kreischte dann wieder in eher hohen Tönen. Auf dem Album Doggin’ Around von 1960 ist ein solcher Auftritt zu hören.
Mitte der sechziger Jahre begann seine Karriere zu leiden, die eine kurze Wiederbelebung hatte, als er mit Karl Davis zusammenarbeitete, ein legendärer Chicagoer Produzent. Der Zusammenarbeit entsprangen zwei Hits, Whispers und Higher and Higher. Higher and Higher wurde 1999 in die Grammy Hall of Fame aufgenommen.
Am 15. Februar 1961 wurde Wilson in einem Hotel in New York City von Juanita Jones, einer ehemaligen Geliebten, bei einem Eifersuchtsdrama durch eine Kugel schwer verletzt. Als er in Begleitung einer neuen Geliebten, Sam Cookes Ex-Freundin Harlean Harris, vor seinem Hotelzimmer auftauchte, streckten die Schüsse ihn nieder. Die offizielle Version des Managements besagte, dass ein eifersüchtiger Fan damit gedroht hätte, sich zu erschießen und Wilson bei dem Versuch, den vermeintlichen Fan von der Tat abzuhalten, angeschossen wurde. Er musste sechs Wochen im Krankenhaus bleiben. Die Kugel verblieb im Körper, es bestand aber keine Gefahr mehr für sein Leben.
1965 ließ Wilson sich von seiner damaligen Frau scheiden und heiratete Harlean Harris, mit der er zeitlebens zusammenblieb. Bis 1967 brachte er noch zahlreiche Singles in die Charts, darunter Whispers und Higher and Higher (bekannt aus dem Film Ghostbusters II).
Später ließ der Erfolg merklich nach. In den frühen 1970er Jahren erfolgte noch einmal eine kurze Hitwelle, doch sein Zenit war überschritten. Wilson beteiligte sich nun vorwiegend an Oldie-Revival-Touren. Bei einem dieser Auftritte, mit einer Revival-Band von Dick Clark, erlitt er am 29. September 1975 plötzlich einen Herzanfall. Als Folge seines Sturzes bei diesem Anfall – er fiel mit dem Kopf zuerst von der Bühne – lag Wilson bis zu seinem Tod im Koma. Während seiner Zeit im Koma soll er von Ärzten misshandelt worden sein, so sollen sie ihm unter anderem einen Arm gebrochen haben. Diese Vorwürfe konnten allerdings nie belegt werden.
Am 21. Januar 1984 starb er in Mount Holly und wurde in Detroit begraben. Mit dem Anfang 1985 veröffentlichten Titel Nightshift ehrten The Commodores Wilson mit der zweiten Strophe ihres Hits.
Postum erreichte Jackie Wilsons Version von Reet Petite Anfang 1987 noch einmal die Spitze der britischen Single-Charts und im gleichen Jahr wurde er in die Rock and Roll Hall of Fame aufgenommen.
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was considered a master showman, and one of the most dynamic and influential singers and performers in R&B and rock 'n' roll history.[1][2] Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes, he went solo in 1957 and recorded over 50 hit singles that spanned R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening.This included 16 R&B Top 10 Hits, including 6 R&B # 1's. On the Billboard Hot 100, he scored 14 Top 20 Pop Hits,6 of which made it into the Pop Top 10. During a 1975 benefit concert, he collapsed on stage from a heart attack and subsequently fell into a coma that persisted for nearly nine years until his death in 1984, at the age of 49. By this time, he had become one of the most influential artists of his generation.
A two-time Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee, Wilson was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.[3] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jackie Wilson #69 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[4]
Early years and career
Jack Leroy Wilson, Jr. was born on June 9, 1934, in Detroit, Michigan, the only son of Jack Sr. and Eliza Mae Wilson, as she lost two previous children. Eliza Mae was born on The Billups-Whitfield Place in Columbus, Mississippi. Her parents were Tom and Virginia Ransom. Jackie often visited his family in Columbus and was greatly influenced by the choir at Billups Chapel. Growing up in the rough Detroit area of Highland Park, Wilson joined a gang called the Shakers and often found himself in trouble. Wilson's father was frequently absent, as he was alcoholic and usually out of work. Wilson began singing at an early age, accompanying his mother, once a choir singer, to church. In his early teens Jackie joined a quartet, the Ever Ready Gospel Singers, which became a popular feature of churches in the area. Jackie was not very religious, he just loved to sing and the cash he and his group earned came in handy for the cheap wine which he drank since the age of nine.[5] Jack Sr. and Eliza separated shortly after Jackie turned nine.
Wilson dropped out of high school at the age of 15, having already been sentenced to detention in the Lansing Corrections system for juveniles twice. During his second stint in detention, he learned boxing and started performing in the amateur circuit in the Detroit area at the age of 16. His record in the Golden Gloves was 2 and 8. After his mother forced him to quit, Wilson got married to Freda Hood and became a father at 17. It is rumored that he fathered at least 10 other children prior to getting married and was forced to marry Hood by her father. He gave up boxing for music, first working at Lee's Sensation club as a solo singer,[6] then forming a group called the Falcons (not to be confused with The Falcons Wilson Pickett was part of), that included cousin Levi Stubbs, who later went on to lead the Four Tops (two more of Wilson's cousins, Hubert Johnson and Levi's brother Joe, later became members of The Contours). The other members joined Hank Ballard as part of The Midnighters.[7] including Alonzo Tucker, who would work with Wilson several years later as a solo artist.
Jackie Wilson was soon discovered by talent agent Johnny Otis, who assigned him to join a group called the Thrillers. That group would later be known as The Royals (who would later evolve into R&B group, The Midnighters, but Wilson wasn't part of the group when it changed its name and signed with King Records). LaVern Baker, Little Willie John, Johnnie Ray and Della Reese were acts managed by Al Green (not to be confused with R&B singer Al Green, nor Albert "Al" Green of the now defunct National Records). Al Green owned two music publishing companies, Pearl Music and Merrimac Music, and Detroit's Flame Show Bar where Wilson met Baker.
After recording his first version of "Danny Boy" and a few other tracks on Dizzy Gillespie's record label Dee Gee Records under the name Sonny Wilson (his nickname), Wilson was eventually hired by Billy Ward in 1953 to join a group Ward formed in 1950 called The Dominoes, after Wilson's successful audition to replace the immensely popular Clyde McPhatter, who left the Dominoes and formed his own group, The Drifters.[8] Wilson almost blew his chance that day, showing up calling himself "Shit" Wilson and bragging about being a better singer than McPhatter.[9]
Billy Ward felt a stage name would fit The Dominoes' image, hence Jackie Wilson. Prior to leaving The Dominoes, McPhatter coached Wilson on the sound Billy Ward wanted for his group, influencing Wilson's singing style and stage presence. "I learned a lot from Clyde, that high-pitched choke he used and other things...Clyde McPhatter was my man. Clyde and Billy Ward."[6] Forties blues singer Roy Brown was also a major influence on him, and Wilson grew up listening to The Mills Brothers, The Ink Spots, Louis Jordan and Al Jolson.
Wilson was the group's lead singer for three years, but the Dominoes lost some of their stride with the departure of McPhatter. They were able to make appearances riding on the strength of the group's earlier hits, until 1956 when the Dominoes recorded Wilson with an unlikely interpretation of the pop hit "St. Therese of the Roses", giving The Dominoes another brief moment in the spotlight. Their only other post-McPhatter/Wilson successes were "Stardust", released July 15, 1957, and "Deep Purple", released October 7, 1957.[10] In 1957 Wilson set out to begin a solo career, leaving the Dominoes and collaborating with cousin Levi and got work at Detroit's Flame Show Bar. Later, Al Green worked out a deal with Decca Records, and Wilson was signed to their subsidiary label, Brunswick.
Solo stardom
Shortly after Wilson signed a solo contract with Brunswick, Al Green suddenly died. Green's business partner, Nat Tarnopol, took over as Wilson's manager (and later rose to president of Brunswick). Wilson's first single was released, "Reet Petite" from the album He's So Fine, which became a modest R&B success (and many years later, a huge international smash). The song was written by another former boxer, Berry Gordy, Jr.,[11] who co-wrote it with partner Roquel "Billy" Davis (who also went by the pseudonym Tyran Carlo) and Gordy's sister Gwendolyn. The trio composed and produced six further singles for Wilson, which included "To Be Loved", "I'm Wanderin'", "We Have Love", "That's Why (I Love You So)", "I'll Be Satisfied" and his late-1958 song, "Lonely Teardrops", which in the USA peaked at No. 7 on the pop charts, No. 1 on the R&B charts, and established him as an R&B superstar known for his extraordinary, operatic multi-octave vocal range.[12]
Due to his fervor when performing, with his dynamic dance moves, singing and impeccable dress, he was soon christened "Mr. Excitement", a title he would keep for the remainder of his career. His stagecraft in his live shows inspired James Brown, Michael Jackson[13] and Elvis Presley, among a host of other artists. Presley was so impressed by Wilson that he made it a point to meet him, and the two instantly became good friends. In a photo of the two posing together, Presley's caption in the autograph reads "You got you a friend for life." Jackie was sometimes called "The Black Elvis".[14] Reportedly, when asked about this Presley said, "I guess that makes me the white Jackie Wilson." Wilson also said he was influenced by Presley too, saying "A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis."[15]
Wilson's powerful, electrifying live performances rarely failed to bring audiences to a state of frenzy.[16] His live performances consisted of knee-drops,[17][18] splits, spins, one-footed across-the-floor slides, removing his tie and jacket on-stage and throwing it off-stage, a lot of basic boxing steps (advance and retreat shuffling)[19] and one of his favorite routines, getting some of the less attractive girls in the audience to come up and kiss him. "If I kiss the ugliest girl in the audience," Wilson had said, "they'll all think they can have me and keep coming back and buying my records." Having women come up to kiss him is one reason Wilson kept bottles of mouthwash in his dressing room. Another reason was probably his attempt to hide the alcohol on his breath.
In 1958, Davis and Gordy left Wilson and Brunswick after royalty disputes escalated between them and Nat Tarnopol. Davis soon became a successful staff songwriter and producer for Chess Records, while Gordy borrowed $800 from his family and used money he earned from royalties writing for Wilson to start his own recording studio, Hitsville USA, the foundation of Motown Records in his native Detroit. Meanwhile, convinced that Wilson could venture out of R&B and rock and roll, Tarnopol had the singer record operatic ballads and easy listening material, pairing him with Decca Records' veteran arranger Dick Jacobs.
Wilson scored hits as he entered the 1960s with the No. 15 "Doggin' Around", the No. 1 pop ballad "Night", and "Baby Workout", another Top 10 hit (No. 5), which he composed with Midnighters member Alonzo Tucker. His songwriting alliance with Tucker also turned out other songs, including "No Pity (In The Naked City)" and "I'm So Lonely." Top 10 hits continued with "Alone At Last" (No. 8 in 1960) and "My Empty Arms" (No. 9 in 1961).
Also in 1961, Wilson recorded a tribute album to Al Jolson, Nowstalgia...You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet, which included the only album liner notes he ever wrote: "...to the greatest entertainer of this or any other era...I guess I have just about every recording he's ever made, and I rarely missed listening to him on the radio...During the three years I've been making records, I've had the ambition to do an album of songs, which, to me, represent the great Jolson heritage...This is simply my humble tribute to the one man I admire most in this business...to keep the heritage of Jolson alive."[20][21] The album was a commercial failure.
Following the success of "Baby Workout", Wilson experienced a lull in his career between 1964 and 1966 as Tarnopol and Brunswick Records released a succession of unsuccessful albums and singles. Despite the lack of sales success, he still made artistic gains as he recorded an album with Count Basie, as well as a series of duets with rhythm and blues legend Lavern Baker and gospel singer Linda Hopkins.
In 1966, he scored the first of two big comeback singles with established Chicago soul producer Carl Davis with "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher", a No. 6 Pop smash in 1967, which became one of his final pop hits. This was followed by "I Get the Sweetest Feeling", which, despite its modest initial chart success in the US (Billboard Pop #34), has since become one of his biggest international chart successes, becoming a Top 10 hit in the UK twice, in 1972 and in 1987, and a Top 20 hit in the Dutch Top 40, and has spawned numerous cover versions by other artists such as Edwin Starr, Will Young, Erma Franklin (Aretha's sister) and Liz McClarnon.
A key to his musical rebirth was that Davis insisted that Wilson no longer record with Brunswick's musicians in New York; instead, he would record with legendary Detroit musicians normally employed by Motown Records and also Davis' own Chicago-based session players. The Detroit musicians, known as The Funk Brothers, participated on Wilson's recordings due to their respect for Davis and Wilson.
By 1975, Wilson and The Chi-Lites were Brunswick's only significant artists left on the aging label's roster. Until then, Wilson continued to record singles that found success on the R&B chart, but found no significant pop chart success. His final hit, "You Got Me Walkin' ", written by Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites, was released in 1972 with the Chi-Lites backing him on vocals and instruments.
Personal life
Wilson's personal life was full of tragedy. In 1960 in New Orleans, he was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer when fans tried to climb on stage. He assaulted a policeman who had shoved one of the fans. Wilson had a reputation of being rather quick-tempered.[6]
On February 15, 1961, in Manhattan, Wilson was injured in a shooting. It is said the real story behind this incident is that one of his girlfriends, Juanita Jones, shot and wounded him in a jealous rage when he returned to his Manhattan apartment with another woman, fashion model Harlean Harris, an ex-girlfriend of Sam Cooke's. Supposedly, his management concocted a story to protect Wilson's reputation; that Jones was an obsessed fan who had threatened to shoot herself, and that Wilson's intervention resulted in him being shot.[22] Wilson was shot in the stomach: The bullet would result in the loss of a kidney, and lodged too close to his spine to be operated on.[5] However, in early 1975, in an interview with author Arnold Shaw, Wilson maintained it actually was a zealous fan whom he didn't know that shot him. "We also had some trouble in 1961. That was when some crazy chick took a shot at me and nearly put me away for good..."[23] Nonetheless, the story of the zealous fan was accepted, and no charges were brought against Jones. A month and a half later after the shooting incident, Jackie was discharged from the hospital and apart from a limp and discomfort for a while, he was quickly on the mend.
At the time Jackie had declared annual earnings of $263,000, while the average salary a man earned then was just $5,000 a year. But he discovered that, despite being at the peak of success, he was broke. Around this time the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seized Jackie's Detroit family home. Tarnopol and his accountants were supposed to take care of such matters. Fortunately, Jackie made arrangements with the IRS to make restitution on the unpaid taxes; he also re-purchased the family home at auction.[5] As far as money troubles went, this was not even the beginning for Wilson. Nat Tarnopol had taken advantage of Jackie, mis-managing Wilson's money ever since he took the role of Wilson's manager. He even had power-of-attorney over Wilson's finances, giving him complete control over Jackie's money. Shortly before Wilson suffered a heart attack in 1975, Tarnopol and 18 other Brunswick executives were indicted on charges of mail fraud and tax evasion stemming from bribery and payola scandals. Also in the indictment was the charge that Tarnopol owed at least $1 million in royalties to Wilson. In 1976 Tarnopol and the others were found guilty; an appeals court overturned their conviction 18 months later. Although the conviction was overturned, judges went into detail, outlining that Tarnopol and Brunswick Records did defraud their artists of royalties, and that there was sufficient evidence for Wilson to file a lawsuit. However, a trial to sue Tarnopol for royalties never took place, as Wilson lay in a nursing home comatose. Wilson died riddled with debt to the IRS and Brunswick Records.[24]
In March 1967, Wilson and friend/drummer Jimmy Smith were arrested in South Carolina on "morals charges"; the two were entertaining two 24-year-old white women in their motel room.[9]
Freda Hood, Wilson's first wife, with whom he had four children, divorced him in 1965 after 14 years of marriage, frustrated with his notorious womanizing. Although the divorce was amicable, Freda would regret her decision. She never stopped loving him, and Jackie treated her as though she were still his wife.[5] His 16-year-old son, Jackie Jr, was shot and killed on a neighbor's porch in 1970. The death of Jackie Jr. devastated Wilson. He sank into a period of depression, and for the next couple of years he remained mostly a recluse, drinking and using marijuana and cocaine.
More tragedy hit, when two of Wilson's daughters died at a young age.[25] His daughter Sandra died in 1977 at the age of 24 of an apparent heart attack. Jacqueline Wilson was killed in 1988 in a drug related incident in Highland Park, Michigan.[26] Wilson's second marriage was to model Harlean Harris in 1967 with whom he had three children, but they separated soon after. Wilson later met and lived with Lynn Crochet. He was with Crochet until his heart attack in 1975. However, as he and Harris never officially divorced, Harris took the role of Wilson's caregiver for the singer's remaining nine years.
Wilson converted to Judaism as an adult.[27]
Patti LaBelle wrote in her biography that Wilson once tried to force himself on her in her teenage years, as she waited backstage to meet him after one of his performances.[28] Wilson is also said to be the father of author and speaker Alexyss K. Tylor, who claims that her mother was raped and impregnated by the entertainer.[29]
Death
On September 29, 1975, Wilson was one of the featured acts in Dick Clark's Good Ol' Rock and Roll Revue, hosted by the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He was in the middle of singing "Lonely Teardrops" when he suffered a heart attack, reportedly during the middle of the line "My heart is crying." When he collapsed on stage, audience members initially thought it was part of the act. Clark felt something was wrong, then ordered the musicians to stop the music. Cornell Gunter of the Coasters, who was backstage, noticed Wilson was not breathing. Gunter was able to resuscitate him and Wilson was then rushed to a nearby hospital.[9]
Medical personnel worked nearly 30 minutes to stabilize his vitals, but the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to slip into a coma. He briefly recovered in early 1976, and was even able to take a few wobbly steps[30] but slipped back into a semi-comatose state. He was a resident of the Medford Leas Retirement Center in Medford, New Jersey, when he was admitted into Memorial Hospital of Burlington County in Mount Holly, New Jersey due to having trouble taking nourishment, according to Wilson's attorney John Mulkerin.[31]
Jackie Wilson died on January 21, 1984, at the age of 49 from complications of pneumonia. Initially, he was buried in an unmarked grave at Westlawn Cemetery near Detroit.[32] In 1987, a fundraiser collected enough money to purchase a headstone.[9]
Tributes and legacy
On August 17, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio Jackie Wilson was inducted into The Official R&B Music Hall of Fame.
In 1985, the soul/funk band the Commodores recorded "Nightshift" in memory of Wilson and soul singer Marvin Gaye, who had both died in 1984. Reaching No. 1 R&B and No. 3 pop in the US, and topping the Dutch singles chart, it was the group's biggest post-Lionel Richie hit.
Van Morrison also recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 album Saint Dominic's Preview. This song was later covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners. When the track was performed on the British TV show Top of the Pops, a picture of darts player Jocky Wilson was used instead. This has often been speculated to be a mistake but Dexy's frontman Kevin Rowland stated that it was a deliberate joke by the band.
Michael Jackson honored Jackie Wilson at the 1984 Grammy Awards. Jackson dedicated his Album of the Year Grammy for Thriller to Wilson, saying, "In the entertainment business, there are leaders and there are followers. And I just want to say that I think Jackie Wilson was a wonderful entertainer...I love you and thank you so much."[33]
Until Jackson's comments, Wilson's recording legacy had been dormant for almost a decade. Tarnopol owned Wilson's recordings due to Brunswick's separation from MCA, but the label had essentially closed down, essentially deleting Wilson's considerable recorded legacy. But when Jackson praised Wilson at the Grammys, interest in the legendary singer stirred, and Tarnopol released the first Wilson album (a two-record compilation) in almost nine years through Epic Records, Jackson's label at the time. Through Tarnopol's son, Wilson's music has become more available.
Jackie Wilson performing Higher And Higher
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