Memphis Slim
Encyclopedia
Memphis Slim was an American
blues pianist
, singer, and composer
. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues
, 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 many other artists. He made over 500 recordings
.
, Tennessee
, United States
. 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 recorded
for Okeh Records
in 1940. Although he started performing under the name Memphis Slim later that same year, he continued to publish songs under the name Peter Chatman.
He spent most of the 1930s performing in honky-tonks, dance halls, and gambling joints in West Memphis
, Arkansas
, and southeast Missouri
. He settled in Chicago
in 1939, and began teaming with Big Bill Broonzy
in clubs soon afterward. In 1940 and 1941 he recorded two songs for Bluebird Records
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 Melrose
. Slim became a regular session musician for Bluebird, and his piano talents supported established stars such as John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson
, Washboard Sam
, and Jazz Gillum
. 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 Dixon
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 ebullient 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 1948
and "Harlem Bound." In 1947, the day after producing a concert by Slim, Broonzy, and Williamson
at New York City's Town Hall
, folklorist Alan Lomax
brought the three musicians to the Decca
studios and recorded with Slim's on vocal and piano. Lomax presented sections of this recording on BBC
radio in the early 1950s as a documentary titled The Art of the Negro, and later released an expanded version as the LP
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 King
in Cincinnati and Peacock
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 Fulson
, and subsequently by a raft of artists including B. B. King
, Elmore James
, Ray Charles
, Eric Clapton
, Natalie Cole
, Ella Fitzgerald
, Jimi Hendrix
, Mahalia Jackson
, Sarah Vaughan
, Carlos Santana
, John Mayer
and Lou Rawls
. Joe Williams
recorded it in 1952 for Checker
; his remake from 1956 (included in Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
) was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1992.
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 King
, but the company bought his Hy-Tone sides in 1948 and acquired his Miracle masters after it failed in 1950. He was never a Chess artist, but Leonard Chess
bought most of the Premium masters after the failure.
After a year with Mercury Records
, Slim signed with United Records
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" Murphy
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-Jay
. In 1959 his band, still featuring Matt "Guitar" Murphy
, 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 Dixon
, with whom he returned to Europe
in 1962 as a featured artist in the first of the series of American Folk Festival concerts organized by Dixon and promoter Willie Dixon
that brought many notable blues artists to Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. The duo released several albums together on Folkways Records
, including, Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon at the Village Gate with Pete Seeger, in 1962. That same year, he moved permanently to Paris
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 jazz
drummer
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 Lettres
by the Ministry of 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 failure
in Paris
, France
, at the age of 72. He is buried at Galilee Memorial Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 1989, he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues pianist
Pianist
A 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.-Choice of genres:...
, singer, and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues
Jump blues
Jump blues is an up-tempo blues usually played by small groups and featuring horns. It was very popular in the 1940s, and the movement was a precursor to the arrival of rhythm and blues and rock and roll...
, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues
Every Day I Have the Blues
"Every Day I Have the Blues" or "Everyday I Have the Blues" is a classic of the blues that has been recorded by numerous artists. The song is usually credited to Peter Chatman and is often associated with jazz singer Joe Williams and B.B. King...
", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other artists. He made over 500 recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound 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...
.
Biography
Memphis Slim's birth name was John Len Chatman, and he was born in MemphisMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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 recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound 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 Records
Okeh Records
Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918. From 1926 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 publish songs under the name Peter Chatman.
He spent most of the 1930s performing in honky-tonks, dance halls, and gambling joints in West Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, and southeast Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He settled in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1939, and began teaming with Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy
Big 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 Records
Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records is a sub-label of RCA Victor Records originally created in 1932 to counter the American Record Company in the "3 records for a dollar" market. Along with ARC's Perfect Records, Melotone Records and Romeo Records, and the independent US Decca label, Bluebird became one of the best...
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 Melrose
Lester Melrose
Lester Melrose was one of the first American producers of blues records.-Career:He was born Lester Franklin Melrose in Sumner, Illinois, United States, 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" Williamson
Sonny Boy Williamson I
Sonny Boy Williamson was an American blues harmonica player and singer, and the first to use the name Sonny Boy Williamson.-Biography and career:...
, Washboard Sam
Washboard Sam
Robert Brown , known professionally as Washboard Sam, was an American blues singer and musician.-Biography:...
, and Jazz Gillum
Jazz Gillum
William 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 seven, 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
Joshua Altheimer
Joshua Altheimer Although some sources give his date of death as February 18, 1940, that cannot be correct as he is known to have recorded later that year. was an American pianist who is remembered for accompanying Big Bill Broonzy, Lonnie Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson and others on influential...
's death in 1940.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 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 Dixon
Willie Dixon
William James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
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 ebullient 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 1948
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....
and "Harlem Bound." In 1947, the day after producing a concert by Slim, Broonzy, and Williamson
Sonny Boy Williamson I
Sonny Boy Williamson was an American blues harmonica player and singer, and the first to use the name Sonny Boy Williamson.-Biography and career:...
at New York City's Town Hall
The Town Hall
The Town Hall is a performance space, located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in New York City. It seats approximately 1,500 people.-History:...
, folklorist Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax
Alan 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 Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
brought the three musicians to the Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, 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 BBC
BBC Radio
BBC 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. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
radio in the early 1950s as a documentary titled The Art of the Negro, and later released an expanded version as the LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
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 King
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History: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...
in Cincinnati and Peacock
Peacock Records
Peacock 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 Fulson
Lowell Fulson
Lowell 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. King
B. B. King
Riley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...
, Elmore James
Elmore James
Elmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"...
, Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
, Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
and Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis 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 Williams
Joe Williams (jazz singer)
Joe 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 Checker
Checker Records
Checker Records is an inactive record label that was started in 1952 as a subsidiary to Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. The label was founded by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, who ran the label until they sold it to General Recorded Tape in 1969, shortly before Leonard's death.The label...
; his remake from 1956 (included in Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
Count 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.
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 King
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History: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...
, but the company bought his Hy-Tone sides in 1948 and acquired his Miracle masters after it failed in 1950. He was never a Chess artist, but Leonard Chess
Leonard Chess
Leonard Chess was a record company executive and the founder of Chess Records. He was influential in the development of electric blues.- Early life :...
bought most of the Premium masters after the failure.
After a year with Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, Slim signed with United Records
United Records
For "United Records", see United Records United 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" Murphy
Matt Murphy (blues guitarist)
Matt "Guitar" Murphy is an American blues guitarist.-Life and career:Matt Murphy was born in Sunflower, Mississippi, United States, and was educated in Memphis, where his father worked at the Peabody Hotel...
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-Jay
Vee-Jay Records
Vee-Jay Records is 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" Murphy
Matt Murphy (blues guitarist)
Matt "Guitar" Murphy is an American blues guitarist.-Life and career:Matt Murphy was born in Sunflower, Mississippi, United States, and was educated in Memphis, where his father worked at the Peabody Hotel...
, 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 Dixon
Willie Dixon
William James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
, with whom he returned to Europe
Europe
Europe 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 watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1962 as a featured artist in the first of the series of American Folk Festival concerts organized by Dixon and promoter Willie Dixon
Willie Dixon
William James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
that brought many notable blues artists to Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. The duo released several albums together on Folkways Records
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
, including, Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon at the Village Gate with Pete Seeger, in 1962. That same year, he moved permanently to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, 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 jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
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 Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The 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 Culture
Minister of Culture (France)
The 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 failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, at the age of 72. He is buried at Galilee Memorial Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 1989, he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
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.-1980:*Big Bill Broonzy*Willie Dixon*John Lee Hooker...
.
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Memphis Slim and the Real Boogie-Woogie | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1960 | Memphis Slim and the Honky-Tonk Sound | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1960 | Travelling with the Blues | Storyville |
| 1960 | Blue This Evening | Black Lion |
| 1960 | Pete Seeger at the Village Gate with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon - Vol 1 | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1960 | Songs of Memphis Slim and "Wee Willie" Dixon | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1961 | Tribute To Big Bill Broonzy | Candid |
| 1961 | Steady Rollin' Blues: The Blues Of Memphis Slim | OBC |
| 1961 | Memphis Slim U.S.A. | Candid |
| 1961 | Broken Soul Blues | Beat Goes On |
| 1961 | Alone With My Friends | Battle |
| 1961 | Chicago Blues: Boogie Woogie and Blues Played and Sung By Memphis Slim | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1961 | Blues by Jazz Gillum Singing and Playing His Harmonica: With Arbee Stidham and Memphis Slim | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1961 | No Strain | Bluesville |
| 1962 | Sonny Boy Williamson & Memphis Slim: In Paris | GNP Crescendo |
| 1962 | Pete Seeger at the Village Gate with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon - Vol 2 | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1962 | Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon at the Village Gate with Pete Seeger | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1963 | All Kinds of Blues | Bluesville |
| 1963 | Jazz In Paris: Aux Trois Mailletz | Polygram |
| 1964 | Clap Your Hands | Maison De Blues |
| 1967 | Bluesingly Yours | Maison De Blues |
| 1968 | Lord Have Mercy On Me | Maison De Blues |
| 1969 | The Bluesman | Maison De Blues |
| 1969 | Mother Earth | One Way Records |
| 1970 | The Blue Memphis Suite | Maison De Blues |
| 1970 | Messin' Around with the Blues: The Very Best Of | King |
| 1971 | Boogie Woogie | Maison De Blues |
| 1971 | Born With The Blues | Fuel 2000 |
| 1971 | Blue Memphis | Wounded Bird |
| 1972 | South Side Reunion: Memphis Slim & Buddy Guy | Sunny Side |
| 1973 | Legacy of the Blues, Vol 7: Memphis Slim | Gnp Crescendo |
| 1973 | Memphis Slim | Storyville |
| 1973 | Soul Blues | Acrobat Records |
| 1973 | Raining the Blues | Fantasy |
| 1973 | Memphis Slim - Favorite Blues Singers | Folkways Records Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:... |
| 1973 | Very Much Alive and in Montreux | Universal International |
| 1975 | Going Back To Tennessee | Maison De Blues |
| 1981 | Rockin' the Blues | Charly |
| 1981 | Memphis Heat: Canned Heat & Memphis Slim (recorded in 1970) | Sunny Side |
| 1981 | I'll Just Keep On Singin' the Blues | SLG, LLC |
| 1990 | Steppin' Out: Live at Ronnie Scotts | Castle Music UK |
| 1990 | Together Again One More Time/Still Not Ready For Eddie | Texas Music Group |
| 1990 | Parisian Blues | Polygram |
| 1990 | The Real Folk Blues | Mca |
| 1992 | Blues Masters Vol 9: Memphis Slim | |
| 1993 | London Sessions 1960 | Sequel Records UK |
| 1994 | The Blues Collection Vol 13: Beer Drinkin' Woman | ADD |
| 1994 | Lonesome | Legacy International |
| 1994 | Live at the Hot Club | BMG International |
| 1995 | Boogie After Midnight | Chicago Music Co. |
| 1996 | The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1: 1940-1941 (Peter Chatman As Memphis Slim) | EPM Musique |
| 1996 | Come Back & Other Classics | Masters Intercontinental |
| 1996 | The Bluebird Recordings, 1940-1941 | RCA |
| 1997 | Dialogue in Boogie: Memphis Slim & Philippe Lejeune | Happy Bird |
| 1998 | Lonely Nights | Catfish |
| 1998 | Very Best of Memphis Slim: The Blues Is Everywhere | Collectables |
| 1999 | Life Is Like That | Charly UK |
| 2000 | The Folkways Years, 1959-1973 | Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 2000 | Blues At Midnight | Catfish |
| 2000 | Memphis Slim at the Gate of the Horn | Vee-Jay |
| 2001 | The Complete Recordings, Vol. 2: 1946-1948 | EPM Musique |
| 2001 | Essential Masters | Cleopatra |
| 2001 | Blue and Lonesome | Arpeggio Blues |
| 2001 | Ambassador of the Blues | Indigo UK |
| 2002 | The Complete Recordings, Vol. 3: 1948-1950 | EPM Musique |
| 2002 | I Am The Blues | Prestige Elite |
| 2002 | Kansas City | Classic World |
| 2002 | Boogie For My Friends | Black & Blue France |
| 2002 | The Come Back | Delmark |
| 2002 | Blues Legends: Memphis Slim | Lead |
| 2003 | Three Women Blues | |
| 2003 | The Complete Recordings, Vol 4: 1951-1952 | EPM Musique |
| 2004 | Worried Life Blues | |
| 2004 | Grinder Man Blues | Snapper UK |
| 2004 | The Best of Memphis Slim | Liquid 8 |
| 2005 | Boogie For 2 Pianos Vol 1: Memphis Slim & Jean-Paul Amouroux | |
| 2005 | Paris Mississippi Blues | Sunny Side |
| 2005 | Double-Barreled Boogie: Memphis Slim & Roosvelt Sykes | Sunny Side |
| 2006 | Forty Years of More | Passport Audio |
| 2006 | Memphis Suite | Sunny Side |
| 2006 | Rockin' This House: Chicago Blues Piano 1946-1953 (CDs A&B) | JSP Records |
| 2006 | The Sonet Blues Story | Verve Records |
| 2006 | An Introduction to Memphis Slim | Fuel 2000 |
| 2007 | The Ultimate Jazz Archive 14 1940-41 (1 Of 4) | Carinco AG |
| 2007 | Sings the Blues | Wnts |
| 2007 | Chicago Blues Masters Vol 1: Muddy Waters And Memphis Slim | Capitol |
| 2007 | Cold Blooded Woman | Collectables Records |
| 2008 | Greatest Moments | Stardust |
| 2008 | Four Walls | Jukebox Entertainment |
| 2008 | Born To Boogie | Unlimited Media |
| 2008 | Legend of the Blues | Wounded Bird Records |
| 2009 | Fip Fil and Fim | 101 Distribution |
See also
- Chicago Blues FestivalChicago Blues FestivalThe Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event held in June 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)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 FameBlues 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.-1980:*Big Bill Broonzy*Willie Dixon*John Lee Hooker...
- List of Storyville Records artists
- List of people from Memphis
- Piano bluesPiano bluesPiano 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
- Music Match Memphis Slim
- [ Memphis Slim biography and discography] at Allmusic websiteWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
- Memphis Slim discography on Folkways Records
- Memphis Slim obituary from the New York Times