Memphis Slim (September 3, 1915,
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
,
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
– February 24, 1988,
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
, singer, and
composerA composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of...
. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of
jump bluesJump blues is an up-tempo blues usually played by small groups and featuring horns. Jump blues was very popular in the 1940s and was called "rock and roll" in the 1950s.- Origins :...
, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues," has become a blues standard, recorded by a raft of other artists. Slim made over 500 recordings and for decades influenced the blues pianists who followed him.
Biography
Memphis Slim's birth name was
John Len Chatman. His father Peter Chatman sang, played piano and guitar, and operated juke joints, and it is now commonly believed that he took the name to honor his father when he first
recordedSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
for
Okeh RecordsOkeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918; from the late 1920s on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records.-History:...
in 1940. Although he started performing under the name Memphis Slim later that same year, he continued to
publishIn the music industry, a music publisher is responsible for ensuring the songwriters and composers receive payment when their compositions are used commercially. Through an agreement called a publishing contract, a songwriter or composer "assigns" the copyright of their composition to a publishing...
songs under the name Peter Chatman.
He spent most of the 1930s performing in honky-tonks, dance halls, and gambling joints in
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the...
, and southern
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
. He settled in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
in 1939, and began teaming with
Big Bill BroonzyBig Bill Broonzy was a prolific American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s when he played Country blues to mostly black audiences. Through the ‘30s and ‘40s he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with white audiences...
in clubs soon afterward. In 1940 and 1941 he recorded two songs for
Bluebird RecordsBluebird Records is a sub-label of RCA Victor Records originally created in 1932 to counter ARC Records in the "3 records for a dollar" market...
that became part of his repertoire for decades, "Beer Drinking Woman," and "Grinder Man Blues." These were released under the name "Memphis Slim," given to him by Bluebird's producer,
Lester MelroseLester Franklin Melrose was one of the first producers of blues records.-Career:He was born in Sumner, Illinois, the second of six children of Frank and Mollie Melrose who owned a small farm...
. Slim became a regular session musician for Bluebird, and his piano talents supported established stars such as
John Lee "Sonny Boy" WilliamsonSonny Boy Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, and the first to use the name Sonny Boy Williamson.-Career:He was born near Jackson, Tennessee in 1914...
,
Washboard SamRobert Brown , known professionally as Washboard Sam, was an American blues singer and musician....
, and
Jazz GillumWilliam McKinley Gillum , known as Jazz Gillum, was an American blues harmonica player.He was born in Indianola, Mississippi. After running away from home at the age of 7, Gillum spent the next few years in Charleston, Mississippi, working and playing for tips on local street corners...
. Many of Slim's recordings and performances until the mid-1940s were with guitarist and singer Broonzy, who had recruited Slim to be his piano player after Joshua Altheimer's death in 1940.
After World War II, Slim began leading bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump-blues, generally included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. With the decline of blues recording by the majors, Slim worked with the emerging independent labels. Starting in late 1945, he recorded with trios for the small Chicago-based label Hy-Tone. With a lineup of alto saxophone, tenor sax, piano, and string bass (
Willie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was a well-known American blues bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer...
played the instrument on the first session), he signed with the Miracle label in the fall of 1946. One of the numbers recorded at the first session was the ebuliient boogie "Rockin' the House," from which his band would take its name. Slim and the House Rockers recorded mainly for Miracle through 1949, enjoying commercial success. Among the songs they recorded were "Messin' Around" (which reached number one on the
R&B charts in 1948This list of R&B #1 hits of 1948 in the United States is part of the List of #1 R&B hits .----An asterisk after a song title means that the song lost and then regained the number-one spot....
and "Harlem Bound." In 1947, the day after producing a concert by Slim, Broonzy, and
WilliamsonSonny Boy Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, and the first to use the name Sonny Boy Williamson.-Career:He was born near Jackson, Tennessee in 1914...
at New York City's
Town HallThe Town Hall is a performance space located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in New York City, New York. It seats 1,500 people.- History :...
, folklorist
Alan LomaxAlan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the West Indies, Italy, and Spain.-Biography:Lomax was the son of pioneering...
brought the three musicians to the
DeccaDecca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades...
studios and recorded with Slim's on vocal and piano. Lomax presented sections of this recording on
BBCBBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927...
radio in the early 1950s as a documentary titled
The Art of the Negro, and later released an expanded version as the
LPA gramophone record, commonly known as phonograph record, vinyl record, or simply record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove usually starting near the periphery and ending near the centre of the disc...
Blues in the Mississippi Night. In 1949, Slim expanded his combo to a quintet by adding a drummer; the group was now spending most of its time on tour, leading to off-contract recording sessions for
KingKing Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a King." One of the...
in Cincinnati and
PeacockPeacock Records was a record label started in 1949 by Don D. Robey in Houston, Texas."Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton was a bit hit for Peacock in 1953. Other significant rhythm & blues artists on Peacock were Marie Adams, James Booker, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Little Richard, Memphis Slim, and...
in Houston.
One of Slim's 1947 recordings for Miracle, released in 1949, was originally titled "Nobody Loves Me." It has become famous as "Every Day I Have the Blues." The tune was recorded in 1950 by
Lowell FulsonLowell Fulson was a big-voiced blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. Fulson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recorded for business reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom...
, and subsequently by a raft of artists including
B. B. KingRiley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter acclaimed for his expressive singing and guitar playing....
,
Elmore JamesElmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, song writer and band leader.His distinctive style of slide guitar playing was influential on the development of post-World War 2 blues.-Biography:...
,
Ray CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He brought a soulful sound to country music and pop standards through his Modern Sounds recordings, as well as a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the "definitive version of...
,
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
,
Natalie ColeNatalie Cole is an American singer, songwriter and performer. She achieved success in her early career as an R&B star, but smoothly changed her repertoire toward a more pop and jazz oriented musical style in the early 1990s...
,
Ella FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as "Lady Ella", and the "First Lady of Song", was an American jazz vocalist....
,
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter...
,
Mahalia JacksonMahalia Jackson was an African-American gospel singer. With her powerful, distinct voice, Mahalia Jackson became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and is the first Queen of Gospel Music...
,
Sarah VaughanSarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century". She had a contralto vocal range....
,
Carlos SantanaCarlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican-born American Grammy Award-winning rock musician and guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered a blend of rock, salsa and jazz fusion. The band's sound featured his melodic, blues-based...
, and
Lou RawlsLouis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
.
Joe WilliamsJoe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
recorded it in 1952 for
CheckerChecker Records was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records. Like Cadet Records it stopped releasing records around 1971.Its most known artists include young Aretha Franklin, Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, J. B. Lenoir, Lowell Fulson, Little Milton, Arthur Crudup, Little Walter, Sonny Boy...
; his remake from 1956 (included in
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams SingsCount Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings is a 1956 album by the American jazz and blues singer Joe Williams, with the Count Basie Orchestra.-Track listing:# "Every Day I Have the Blues" – 5:29# "The Come Back" – 5:28...
) was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1992. "Every Day I Have the Blues" is also seen in John Mayer's, Where The Light Is, a DVD (and CD) live recording in Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre featuring Steve Jordan (drums) and Pino Palladino (bass).
Early in 1950, Miracle succumbed to financial troubles, but its owners regrouped to form the Premium label, and Slim remained on board until the successor company faltered in the summer of 1951. His February 1951 session for Premium saw two changes in the House Rockers' lineup: Slim started using two tenor saxophones instead of the alto and tenor combination, and he made a trial of adding guitarist Ike Perkins. His last session for Premium kept the two-tenor lineup but dispensed with the guitar. During his time with Premium, Slim first recorded his song "Mother Earth."
Slim made just one session for
KingKing Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a King." One of the...
, but the company bought his Hy-Tone sides in 1948 and acquired his Miracle masters after that company went broke in 1950. He was never a Chess artist, but
Leonard ChessLeonard Chess was a record company executive and the founder of Chess Records. He was influential in the development of electric blues....
bought most of the Premium masters after that company failed.
After a year with
Mercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US, and are both subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal Music...
, Slim signed with
United RecordsUnited Records was in business from July 1951 to December 1957. It was operated by Chicago businessman Leonard Allen, initially in collaboration with Lew Simpkins...
in Chicago; the A&R man, Lew Simpkins, knew him from Miracle and Premium. The timing was propitious, because he had just added
Matt "Guitar" MurphyMatt "Guitar" Murphy is an American blues guitarist.-Life and career:Murphy was born in Sunflower, Mississippi. He played with Howlin' Wolf as early as 1948 ....
to his group. He remained with United through the end of 1954, when the company began to cut back on blues recording.
Slim's next steady relationship with a record company had to wait until 1958, when he was picked up by
Vee-JayVee-Jay Records was a record label founded in the 1950s, specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. It was owned and operated by African Americans.-History:...
. In 1959 his band, still featuring
Matt "Guitar" MurphyMatt "Guitar" Murphy is an American blues guitarist.-Life and career:Murphy was born in Sunflower, Mississippi. He played with Howlin' Wolf as early as 1948 ....
, cut LP
Memphis Slim at the Gate of the Horn, which featured a lineup of his best known songs, including "Mother Earth," "Gotta Find My Baby," "Rockin' the Blues," 'Steppin' Out," and "Slim's Blues."
Slim first appeared outside the United States in 1960, touring with
Willie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was a well-known American blues bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer...
, with whom he returned to
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
in 1962 as a featured artist in the first of the series of American Folk Festival concerts organized by Dixon and promoter
Willie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was a well-known American blues bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer...
that brought many notable blues artists to Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. The duo released several albums together on
Folkways RecordsFolkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
, including,
Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon at the Village Gate with Pete Seeger, in 1962. That same year, he moved permanently to
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and his engaging personality and well-honed presentation of playing, singing, and storytelling about the blues secured his position as the most prominent blues artist for nearly three decades. He appeared on television in numerous European countries, acted in several French films and wrote the score for another, and performed regularly in Paris, throughout Europe, and on return visits to the United States. In the last years of his life, he teamed up with respected
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
drummerA drummer is a person who plays drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays classical or Latin percussion. Most bands for Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B etc...
George Collier. The two toured Europe together and became friends. After Collier died in August 1987, Slim appeared in public very little. Two years before his death, Slim was named a Commander in the
Ordre des Arts et des LettresThe Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre National du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
by the
Ministry of CultureThe Minister of Culture is, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of national museums and monuments; promoting and protecting the arts in France and abroad; and managing the national archives and regional "maisons de culture"...
of the Republic of France. In addition, the U.S. Senate honored Slim with the title of Ambassador-at-Large of Good Will.
Memphis Slim died on February 24, 1988, of
renal failureRenal failure or kidney failure is a situation in which the kidneys fail to function adequately. It is divided into acute and chronic forms; either form may be due to a large number of other medical problems....
in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, at the age of 72. He is buried at Galilee Memorial Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 1989, he was
posthumouslyA posthumous recognition is a ceremonial award given after the recipient has died, usually in honor of an action associated with his or her death....
inducted into the
Blues Hall of FameThe Blues Hall of Fame is a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1980 by the Blues Foundation, it honors those who have performed, recorded, or documented blues.-2009:*Reverend Gary Davis*Son Seals*Taj Mahal...
.
Selective LP and CD discography
| Year |
Title |
Genre |
Label |
Notes |
| 2000 |
The Folkways Years, 1959-1973 |
Blues |
Smithsonian Folkways |
|
| 1985 |
Sonny Boy Williamson and Memphis Slim in Paris |
Blues |
GNP |
|
| 1981 |
Rockin' the Blues |
Blues |
Charly |
|
| 1973 |
Memphis Slim - Favorite Blues Singers |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
| 1973 |
Very Much Alive and in Montreux |
Blues |
Universal International |
Montreux Jazz FestivalThe Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva.- History :...
|
|
| 1970 |
Messin' Around with the Blues |
Blues |
King |
|
| 1963 |
All Kinds of Blues |
Blues |
Bluesville |
|
| 1962 |
Pete Seeger at the Village Gate with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon - Volume Two |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
| 1962 |
Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon at the Village Gate with Pete Seeger |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
| 1962 |
Memphis Slim & Willie Dixon in Paris |
Blues |
Battle |
|
| 1961 |
Chicago Blues: Boogie Woogie and Blues Played and Sung By Memphis Slim |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
| 1961 |
Blues by Jazz Gillum Singing and Playing His Harmonica: With Arbee Stidham and Memphis Slim |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
| 1960 |
Memphis Slim and the Honky-Tonk Sound |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
| 1960 |
Pete Seeger at the Village Gate with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
| 1960 |
Songs of Memphis Slim and "Wee Willie" Dixon |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
| 1959 |
Memphis Slim at the Gate of the Horn |
Blues |
Vee-Jay |
|
| 1959 |
Memphis Slim and the Real Boogie-Woogie |
Blues |
Folkways Records Folkways Records is a record label that documents folk and world music. It is now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.-History:The Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 in New York City. Asch sought to record and document sound from the entire world....
|
|
See also
- Chicago Blues Festival
The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event that features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming. It is hosted by the City of Chicago Mayor's Office of Special Events, and always occurs in early June...
- List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart
- List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States)
- R&B number-one hits of 1948 (USA)
This list of R&B #1 hits of 1948 in the United States is part of the List of #1 R&B hits .----An asterisk after a song title means that the song lost and then regained the number-one spot....
- Blues Hall of Fame
The Blues Hall of Fame is a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1980 by the Blues Foundation, it honors those who have performed, recorded, or documented blues.-2009:*Reverend Gary Davis*Son Seals*Taj Mahal...
- List of Storyville Records artists
- List of people from Memphis
- Piano blues
Piano blues refers to a variety of blues styles, sharing only the characteristic that they use the piano as the primary musical instrument. Boogie woogie is the best known kind of piano blues, though barrelhouse, swing, R&B, rock and roll and jazz are strongly influenced by early pianists who...
- List of blues musicians
External links