Delbert McClinton
Encyclopedia
Delbert McClinton is an American
blues rock and electric blues
singer-songwriter
, guitarist
, harmonica
player, and pianist.
Active as a side-man since 1962 and as a band leader since 1972, he has recorded several major record label
albums, and charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100
, Mainstream Rock Tracks
, and Hot Country Songs
charts
. His highest-peaking single was "Tell Me About It", a 1992 duet with Tanya Tucker
which reached #4 on the Country chart. He has also had four albums that made it to #1 on the U.S. Blues chart, and another that reached #2.
He was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, in March 2011, along with Lee Roy Parnell
, Bruce Channel
, Gary Nicholson and Cindy Walker
.
, United States
, but relocated with his family to Fort Worth, Texas
when he was age 11. He worked in a bar band, The Straitjackets, who played backing to Sonny Boy Williamson II
, Howlin' Wolf
, Lightnin' Hopkins
, and Jimmy Reed
. McClinton recorded several regional singles before hitting the national chart in 1962, playing harmonica on Bruce Channel's "Hey! Baby
." On a subsequent package tour to the United Kingdom
, McClinton instructed John Lennon
on the finer points of blues harmonica playing.
in 1972, McClinton partnered with fellow Texan, Glen Clark, to perform a combination of country
and soul music
. They achieved a degree of artistic success, releasing two albums before splitting and McClinton embarked on a solo career.
Emmylou Harris
had a #1 hit in 1978 with McClinton's composition "Two More Bottles of Wine
," and his "B Movie Boxcar Blues" was covered
on the first The Blues Brothers
album, Briefcase Full of Blues
.
. After an inactive period during much of the 1980s, McClinton made a return in 1989 with the Live From Austin album, recorded during an Austin City Limits
appearance.
He won a 1991 Grammy Award
for his duet with Bonnie Raitt
, "Good Man, Good Woman", and reached the Top 5 of the Country chart with the Tanya Tucker
duet, "Tell Me About It." McClinton recorded the opening title song "Weatherman" for the Bill Murray
film Groundhog Day
. The fledgling label
Rising Tide
released One of the Fortunate Few in 1997, before the label went out of business.
issued Delbert McClinton Live in 2003, a compilation album
of songs from throughout his career. In 2006, McClinton won a Grammy Award for his album The Cost of Living in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category.
McClinton was a judge for the fourth annual Independent Music Awards
to support independent artists' careers.
McClinton is the feature of the musical documentary, Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey
, by the film maker Jay Curlee
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues rock and electric blues
Electric blues
Electric blues is a type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and often the harmonica. Pioneered in the 1930s, it emerged as a genre in Chicago in the 1940s. It was taken up in many areas of America leading to the development of regional subgenres...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player, and pianist.
Active as a side-man since 1962 and as a band leader since 1972, he has recorded several major record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
albums, and charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
, and Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. His highest-peaking single was "Tell Me About It", a 1992 duet with Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
which reached #4 on the Country chart. He has also had four albums that made it to #1 on the U.S. Blues chart, and another that reached #2.
He was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, in March 2011, along with Lee Roy Parnell
Lee Roy Parnell
Lee Roy Parnell is an American country music artist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
, Bruce Channel
Bruce Channel
Bruce Channel is an American singer, known for his 1962 million selling number one hit, "Hey! Baby".-Career:...
, Gary Nicholson and Cindy Walker
Cindy Walker
Cindy Walker was a prolific American songwriter, as well as a country music singer and dancer. As a songwriter Walker was responsible for a large number of popular and enduring songs recorded by many different artists. She adopted a craftsman-like approach to her songwriting, often tailoring...
.
Early years
Delbert McClinton was born in Lubbock, TexasLubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but relocated with his family to Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
when he was age 11. He worked in a bar band, The Straitjackets, who played backing to Sonny Boy Williamson II
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Willie "Sonny Boy" Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, from Mississippi. He is acknowledged as one of the most charismatic and influential blues musicians, with considerable prowess on the harmonica and highly creative songwriting skills...
, Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
, Lightnin' Hopkins
Lightnin' Hopkins
Sam John Hopkins better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Houston, Texas...
, and Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
. McClinton recorded several regional singles before hitting the national chart in 1962, playing harmonica on Bruce Channel's "Hey! Baby
Hey! Baby
"Hey! Baby" is a song written by Margaret Cobb and Bruce Channel, who recorded the song in 1961. Channel co-produced the song with Major Bill Smith and released it on Mercury Records' Smash label...
." On a subsequent package tour to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, McClinton instructed John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
on the finer points of blues harmonica playing.
1970s
Relocating to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1972, McClinton partnered with fellow Texan, Glen Clark, to perform a combination of country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. They achieved a degree of artistic success, releasing two albums before splitting and McClinton embarked on a solo career.
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
had a #1 hit in 1978 with McClinton's composition "Two More Bottles of Wine
Two More Bottles of Wine
"Two More Bottles of Wine" is a song written by Delbert McClinton, which was most famously recorded in 1978, by Emmylou Harris, whose recording topped the U.S. country singles charts.-The song:...
," and his "B Movie Boxcar Blues" was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
on the first The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
album, Briefcase Full of Blues
Briefcase Full of Blues
-External links:* *...
.
1980s and 1990s
McClinton's 1980 album, The Jealous Kind, contained his only Top 40 hit single, "Givin' It Up for Your Love", which peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. After an inactive period during much of the 1980s, McClinton made a return in 1989 with the Live From Austin album, recorded during an Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
appearance.
He won a 1991 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for his duet with Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, "Good Man, Good Woman", and reached the Top 5 of the Country chart with the Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
duet, "Tell Me About It." McClinton recorded the opening title song "Weatherman" for the Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
film Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day (film)
Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
. The fledgling label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Rising Tide
Rising Tide Records
Rising Tide Records was a record label started by Doug Morris, former head of Atlantic Records, and Daniel Glass, who became President.The label had success in breaking new artists, including the multi-platinum debut of Erykah Badu, Billie Myers and Lost Boyz...
released One of the Fortunate Few in 1997, before the label went out of business.
2000–present
In addition to releasing two new studio albums in the early 2000s, New West RecordsNew West Records
New West Records is a record label based in Los Angeles, California, Austin, Texas, and Athens, Georgia. It was established in 1998, and has been home to several indie rock and alternative country bands as well as representing the PBS show Austin City Limits...
issued Delbert McClinton Live in 2003, a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of songs from throughout his career. In 2006, McClinton won a Grammy Award for his album The Cost of Living in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category.
McClinton was a judge for the fourth annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
to support independent artists' careers.
McClinton is the feature of the musical documentary, Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey
Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey
Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey is a musical documentary by Hawaii-based film maker Jay Curlee. The feature includes interviews and performances by Delbert McClinton, Marcia Ball, Rodney Crowell, Stephen Bruton, Wayne Toups, Jimmy Hall, Paul Thorn, Jeffrey Steele and Teresa James...
, by the film maker Jay Curlee
Jay Curlee
Jay Curlee is a Hawaii-based filmmaker. He is the director of the musical documentary Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey, a feature that includes interviews and performances by Delbert McClinton, Marcia Ball, Rodney Crowell, Stephen Bruton, Wayne Toups, Jimmy Hall, Paul Thorn,...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Blues | US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
|||
| 1972 | Delbert & Glen | Clean | ||||
| 1973 | Subject to Change | |||||
| 1975 | Victim of Life's Circumstances | ABC | ||||
| 1976 | Genuine Cowhide | |||||
| 1977 | Love Rustler | 49 | ||||
| 1978 | Second Wind | Mercury | ||||
| 1979 | Keeper of the Flame | 146 | ||||
| 1980 | The Jealous Kind | Capitol | ||||
| 1981 | Plain from the Heart | 181 | ||||
| 1987 | Honky Tonkin | MCA | ||||
| 1989 | Honky Tonkin | Alligator | ||||
| Live from Austin | ||||||
| 1990 | I'm with You | Curb | ||||
| 1992 | Never Been Rocked Enough | 118 | ||||
| 1993 | Feelin' Alright | Intermedia | ||||
| Delbert McClinton | Curb | |||||
| 1994 | Shot from the Saddle | Mercury | ||||
| Honky Tonk 'n Blues | MCA | |||||
| 1995 | Let the Good Times Roll | |||||
| 1997 | One of the Fortunate Few | 2 | 15 | 116 | Rising Tide | |
| 2001 | Nothing Personal | 1 | 20 | 103 | 3 | New West |
| 2002 | Room to Breathe Room to Breathe (Delbert McClinton album) -Personnel:*Delbert McClinton - vocals, guitar, harmonica*Todd Sharp - lead guitar, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, background vocals*Bill Campbell - rhythm guitar*Gary Nicholson - acoustic guitar, background vocals... |
1 | 12 | 84 | 3 | |
| 2003 | Live | 44 | 31 | |||
| 2005 | Cost of Living | 1 | 14 | 105 | 16 | |
| 2006 | Live from Austin, TX | |||||
| 2007 | Rockin' Blues | Direct Source | ||||
| 2009 | Acquired Taste | 1 | 131 | 23 | New West | |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Very Early Delbert McClinton | Lecam |
| 1989 | The Best of Delbert McClinton | Curb |
| 1994 | Classics, Volume 1 | Capitol |
| Classics, Vol. 2: Plain from the Heart | Curb | |
| 1995 | Great Songs: Come Together | |
| 1999 | Crazy Cajun Recordings | Edsel |
| The Ultimate Collection | Hip-O | |
| 2000 | Don't Let Go: The Collection | Music Club |
| Genuine Rhythm & the Blues | Hip-O | |
| 2003 | 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Delbert McClinton |
MCA |
| 2006 | The Definitive Collection | Hip-O |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US MSR Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
CAN | CAN Country | |||
| 1972 | "I Received a Letter" (credited to Delbert & Glen) | 90 | — | — | — | — | Delbert & Glen |
| 1980 | "Giving It Up for Your Love" | 8 | — | — | 10 | — | The Jealous Kind |
| 1981 | "Shotgun Rider" | 70 | — | — | — | — | Plain from the Heart |
| 1990 | "I'm with You" | — | — | — | — | — | I'm with You |
| 1992 | "Every Time I Roll the Dice" | — | — | 13 | 40 | — | Never Been Rocked Enough |
| 1995 | "Come Together" | — | — | — | — | — | Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles |
| 1997 | "Sending Me Angels" | — | 65 | — | — | 92 | One of the Fortunate Few |
| 2001 | "When Rita Leaves" | — | — | — | — | — | Nothing Personal |
| 2002 | "Same Kind of Crazy" | — | — | — | — | — | Room to Breathe |
| 2002 | "Lone Star Blues" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2005 | "One of the Fortunate Few" | — | — | — | — | — | Cost of Living |
| "I Had a Real Good Time" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "Midnight Communion" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2009 | "Mama's Little Baby" | — | — | — | — | — | Acquired Taste |
| "Starting a Rumor" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||||
| 1992 | "Tell Me About It Tell Me About It "Tell Me About It" is a single by American country music artist Tanya Tucker and singer-songwriter Delbert McClinton. Released in 1993, it was the third single from the album Can't Run from Yourself. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:... " |
Tanya Tucker Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13... |
4 | 3 | Can't Run from Yourself Can't Run from Yourself Can't Run from Yourself is an album by Country singer Tanya Tucker. There were three Billboard Top Ten Country Singles from Can't Run from Yourself: "It's a Little Too Late" and "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane" both at #2, and "Tell Me About It," a duet with Delbert McClinton, at #4... |