T-Bone Walker Explained

T-Bone Walker
Background:solo_singer
Birth Name:Aaron Thibeaux Walker
Alias:Oak Cliff T-Bone
Birth Date:1910 5, mf=yes
Birth Place:Linden, Texas, U.S.
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genre: Urban Blues
Years Active:1928–1975

Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds.[1] [2] In 2018 Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 67 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".[3]

Biography

1910–1941: early years

Aaron Thibeaux Walker was born in Linden, Texas. His parents, Movelia Jimerson and Rance Walker, were both musicians. His stepfather, Marco Washington (a member of the Dallas String Band), taught him to play the guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin, and piano.[4]

Walker began his career as a teenager in Dallas in the 1920s. His mother and stepfather were musicians, and Blind Lemon Jefferson, a family friend, sometimes came over for dinner. Walker left school at the age of 10, and by 15,[3] he was a professional performer on the blues circuit. Initially, he was Jefferson's protégé and would guide him around town for his gigs.[4] In 1929, Walker made his recording debut with Columbia Records, billed as Oak Cliff T-Bone, releasing the single "Wichita Falls Blues" backed with "Trinity River Blues". Oak Cliff is the community in which he lived at the time, and T-Bone is a corruption of his middle name. The pianist Douglas Fernell played accompaniment on the record.[1]

Walker married Vida Lee in 1935; the couple had three children.

By the age of 25, Walker was working in clubs on Central Avenue, in Los Angeles, sometimes as the featured singer and as guitarist with Les Hite's orchestra. In 1940 he recorded with Hite for the Varsity label, but he was featured only as a singer.[5] He started playing electric guitar in about 1940.[1]

1942–1975: later years

In 1942, Charlie Glenn, the owner of the Rhumboogie Café, brought T-Bone Walker to Chicago for long stints in his club. In 1944 and 1945, Walker recorded for the Rhumboogie label, which was tied to the club, backed up by Marl Young's orchestra.

T-Bone Walker performed at the second famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles produced by Leon Hefflin Sr. on October 12, 1946. Jack McVea, Slim Gaillard, The Honeydrippers, Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra, and Louis Armstrong were also on the program.[6] He performed for the third Cavalcade of Jazz concert held in the same location on September 7, 1947, along with Woody Herman as Emcee, The Valdez Orchestra, The Blenders, The Honeydrippers, Slim Gaillard, Johnny Otis and his Orchestra, Toni Harper, The Three Blazers, and Sarah Vaughan.[7]

Much of his output was recorded from 1946 to 1948 for Black & White Records, including his most famous song, "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)" (1947).[1] Other notable songs he recorded during this period were "Bobby Sox Blues" (a number 3 R&B hit in 1947)[8] and "West Side Baby" (number 8 on the R&B singles chart in 1948).[9]

Throughout his career Walker worked with top-notch musicians, including the trumpeter Teddy Buckner (e.g. on "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)"[10] [11] [12]), the pianist Lloyd Glenn,[13] the bassist Billy Hadnott (on the LP Hot Leftovers (1985)[14] and the 78 "Long Skirt Baby Blues"//"Good-Bye Blues" (1947)[15]), and the tenor saxophonist Jack McVea[16] (on the songs "Don't Leave Me Baby"[17] and "No Worry Blues"[18]).

He recorded from 1950 to 1954 for Imperial Records (backed by Dave Bartholomew). Walker's only record in the next five years was T-Bone Blues, recorded during three widely separated sessions in 1955, 1956 and 1957 and released by Atlantic Records in 1959.[19]

By the early 1960s, Walker's career had slowed down, in spite of an energetic performance at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1962 with the pianist Memphis Slim and the prolific writer and musician Willie Dixon, among others.[1] However, several critically acclaimed albums followed, such as I Want a Little Girl (recorded for Delmark Records in 1968). Walker recorded in his last years, from 1968 to 1975, for Robin Hemingway's music publishing company, Jitney Jane Songs. He won a Grammy Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording in 1970 for Good Feelin, while signed with Polydor Records, produced by Hemingway,[4] followed by another album produced by Hemingway, Fly Walker Airlines, released in 1972.[20]

Death

Walker's career began to wind down after he suffered a stroke in 1974.[1] He died at his home in Los Angeles of bronchial pneumonia following another stroke in March 1975, at the age of 64.[1] [21] He influenced generations of musicians.[22] [23]

Legacy

Walker was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980[24] and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.[21] [25]

Chuck Berry named Walker and Louis Jordan as his main influences.[26] B.B. King cited hearing Walker's recording of "Stormy Monday" as his inspiration for getting an electric guitar.[27] In his 1996 autobiography, King commented that when he first heard Walker, he thought "Jesus Himself had returned to earth playing electric guitar. T-Bone's blues filled my insides with joy and good feeling. I became his disciple. And remain so today. My biggest musical debt is to T-Bone." Blues-rock soloing pioneer Lonnie Mack named Walker his principal blues guitar influence.[28] Walker was admired by Jimi Hendrix, who imitated Walker's trick of playing the guitar with his teeth.[29] Steve Miller stated that in 1952, when he was eight, Walker taught him how to play his guitar behind his back and also with his teeth. He was a family friend and a frequent visitor to Miller's family home and Miller considers him a major influence on his career.[30] [31] "Stormy Monday" was a favorite live number of the Allman Brothers Band. The British rock band Jethro Tull covered Walker's "Stormy Monday" in 1968 for John Peel's "Top Gear". Eva Cassidy performed "Stormy Monday" on her 1996 Live at Blues Alley recording.

According to Cleveland.com, Walker may have been the best R&B guitarist. He "pioneered electric blues by becoming the first artist to make the electric guitar a solo instrument and a true centerpiece of his stunning live shows".[32]

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Norman Granz' Jazz At The Philharmonic

With Jay McShann

With Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson

With Jimmy Witherspoon

With various artists

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=t-bone-walker-mn0000003829 |tab=biography |pure_url=yes}} T-Bone Walker Biography ]. Bill . Dahl . . 17 February 2015.
  2. Web site: Walker, Aaron Thibeaux (T-Bone) . Helen Oakley . Dance . Helen Oakley Dance . The Handbook of Texas Online . Texas State Historical Association . Denton . https://web.archive.org/web/20080127150322/http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/WW/fwaap.html . 2008-01-27 . May 14, 2010.
  3. 100 Greatest Guitarists . . 23 November 2011 . 0035-791X . 15 September 2017 . 22 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171122013230/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/t-bone-walker-20111122 . dead .
  4. Web site: Profile of T-Bone Walker . James . Nadal . . 17 February 2015.
  5. Web site: Pruter, Robert; Campbell, Robert L. . The Rhumboogie Label . 2017-02-15.
  6. “SHOW TIME” Review by Wendell Green Los Angeles Sentinel Sept. 26, 1946.
  7. “Woody Herman, 3 Blazers, T-Bone, Others on Program” Review by Eddie Burbridge The California Eagle Sept. 4, 1947
  8. Book: Russell, Tony. 1997. The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Carlton Books. Dubai. 13. 1-85868-255-X.
  9. Web site: Henderson, Alex . Blues Masters: The Very Best of T-Bone Walker: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards . . 2015-08-30.
  10. Web site: Brian. Bader. "Call It Stormy Monday But Tuesday is Just as Bad"—T-Bone Walker (1947). . 3. 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20201220141123/https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/tbonewalker.pdf. December 20, 2020. live.
  11. Web site: Call it Stormy Monday (But Tuesday is Just as Bad) — T-Bone Walker (Black & White, 1947). The Blues Foundation. https://archive.today/20170211080913/https://blues.org/blues_hof_inductee/call-it-stormy-monday-but-tuesday-is-just-as-bad-t-bone-walker-black-white-1947/. February 11, 2017. live. July 18, 2021.
  12. Web site: T-Bone Walker. Italian.
  13. Web site: T-Bone Walker – Blues N°2, Atlantic – 332006. . 30 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210718123146/https://www.discogs.com/it/T-Bone-Walker-T-Bone-Blues/release/2012131. July 18, 2021. live.
  14. Web site: T-Bone WalkerHot Leftovers. . 1985 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210718124031/https://www.discogs.com/it/T-Bone-Walker-Hot-Leftovers/release/3850836. July 18, 2021. live.
  15. Web site: T-Bone Walker and His Guitar. Willard McDaniels. Billy Hadnott. "Bumps" Myers. John E. Buckner. Oscar Lee Bradley. Henry. Good-Bye Blues. Black & White (123 B). Internet Archive. 6 November 1947.
  16. Web site: T Bone Walker* With Jack McVea & All Stars* – No Worry Blues / Don't Leave Me Baby. . https://web.archive.org/web/20210718122731/https://www.discogs.com/it/T-Bone-Walker-With-Jack-McVea-All-Stars-No-Worry-Blues-Dont-Leave-Me-Baby/release/10546387. July 18, 2021. live.
  17. DON'T LEAVE ME BABY by T-Bone Walker with Jack McVea. https://web.archive.org/web/20210718122603/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=STHOmNHcC4k. July 18, 2021. live.
  18. L.A. Noire: K.T.I. Radio - Bobby Sox Blues - T-Bone Walker. March 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20210718122811/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mMZrvf8JSs. July 18, 2021. live.
  19. Book: The Guinness Who's Who of Blues. Colin Larkin. Guinness Publishing. 1995. Second. 0-85112-673-1. 363/6.
  20. Web site: T-Bone Walker: Discography . . 2015-08-30.
  21. Web site: T-Bone Walker Blues Guitarist Career Profile . Blues.about.com . 2015-08-30 . 2015-09-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150906082456/http://blues.about.com/od/artistprofile1/p/T-BoneWalker.htm . dead .
  22. https://books.google.com/books?id=PpIJAQAAMAAJ&q=t-bone+walker%2Bsatanism Living Blues
  23. Web site: SIR ROD & THE BLUES DOCTORS Come Together Modern Blues Harmonica - Album Review. 35.
  24. Web site: Performers in Blues Hall of Fame . https://archive.today/20150115023659/http://www.blues.org/foundation-programs/hall-of-fame/performers-in-the-blues-hall-of-fame/ . dead . 15 January 2015 . . 17 February 2015 .
  25. Web site: T-Bone Walker: Inducted in 1987 . . 18 May 2011.
  26. Web site: T-Bone Walker: Blues Guitar Godfather . Johnny . Harper . There Productions . 17 February 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140422132041/http://www.there1.com/browse_articles.php?action=view_record&idnum=115 . 22 April 2014 .
  27. The Complete Imperial Recordings, 1950–1954 . 1991 . Pete . Welding . Pete Welding . 9–10 . CD booklet . EMI Records USA . CDP-7-96737-2 . Hollywood, CA .
  28. Liner notes to Ace, UK, CD entitled "Memphis Wham!"; See also: Dahl, Bill. "Lonnie Mack profile at" (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p438). allmusic.com. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  29. Book: Russell, Tony. 1997. The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. the blues rock down. Carlton Books. Dubai. 58–59. 1-85868-255-X.
  30. Web site: Why Steve Miller Thinks T-Bone Walker Is King of The Electric Guitar . 8 March 2018.
  31. Michael Granberry. "Steve Miller: Dallas set him on his path to stardom", Dallas Morning News, November 28, 2004, Texas Living section, page 2E.
  32. Web site: 50 most important African American music artists of all time. 25 June 2020. Cleveland.com. 10 March 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "T-Bone Walker".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.