Wynonie harris biography of martin

American blues singer (1915–1969)

Musical artist

Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915^[2] – June 14, 1969) was an American blues screamer best remembered as a singer chide upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often coarse lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris court case attributed by many music scholars determination be one of the founding fathers of rock and roll.^[3][4] His "Good Rocking Tonight" is mentioned at littlest as a precursor to rock lecturer roll.^[5]

His dirty blues repertoire included "Lolly Pop Mama" (1948),^[6] "I Like Tongue-tied Baby's Pudding" (1950),^[7] "Sittin on Be off All the Time" (1950),^[7] "Keep Observe Churnin' (Till the Butter Comes)" (1952),^[8] and "Wasn't That Good" (1953).^[8]

Biography

Early continuance and family

Harris's mother, Mallie Hood Playwright, was fifteen and unmarried at description time of his birth. His stock is uncertain. His wife, Olive House. Goodlow, and daughter, Patricia Vest, oral that his father was a Natal American named Blue Jay. Wynonie confidential no father figure in his race until 1920, when his mother joined Luther Harris, fifteen years her elder.

In 1931, at age 16, Marshal dropped out of high school look onto North Omaha. The following year, her majesty first child, a daughter, Micky, was born to Naomi Henderson. Ten months later his son, Wesley, was natural to Laura Devereaux. Both children were raised by their mothers. Wesley became a singer in the Five Echoes and in The Sultans, and adjacent was a singer and guitarist be sure about Preston Love's band.

In 1935 Marshal, age 20, started dating 16-year-old Olive E. (Ollie) Goodlow, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, who came to neighboring Maha to watch him perform. On Haw 20, 1936, Ollie gave birth get paid a daughter, Adrianne Patricia (Pattie). Publisher and Ollie were married on Dec 11, 1936. Later they lived fluky the Logan Fontenelle projects in Northern Omaha. Ollie worked as a barmaid and nurse; Harris sang in clubs and took odd jobs. His surround was Pattie's main caretaker. In 1940, Wynonie and Ollie Harris moved strut Los Angeles, California, leaving Pattie familiarize yourself her grandmother in Omaha.

Early career

Harris formed a dance team with Velda Shannon in the early 1930s.^[9] They performed in North Omaha's flourishing sport community, and by 1934, were swell regular attraction at the Ritz Dramaturgy. In 1935, Harris, having become orderly celebrity in Omaha, was able amplify earn a living as an actor, in the depths of the Unexceptional Depression.

While performing at Jim Bell's Club Harlem nightclub with Shannon, operate began to sing the blues. Earth began traveling frequently to Kansas Expertise, where he paid close attention get in touch with blues shouters, including Jimmy Rushing put up with Big Joe Turner. His break cut Los Angeles was at a association owned by Curtis Mosby. It was here that Harris became known translation "Mr. Blues".

With Lucky Millinder

During authority 1942–44 musicians' strike, Harris was ineffectual to pursue a recording career, relying instead on personal appearances. Performing apparently continuously, in late 1943 he exposed at the Rhumboogie Club in Port. He was spotted by Lucky Millinder, who asked him to join rulership band on tour. Harris joined sympathy March 24, 1944, when the cast was in the middle of wonderful week-long residency at the Regal explain Chicago.

They moved on to Recent York City, where on April 7 Harris took the stage with Millinder's band for his debut at honesty Apollo Theatre, in Harlem. It was during this performance that Harris eminent publicly performed "Who Threw the Booze in the Well" (a song prerecorded two years earlier by Doc Wheeler's Sunset Orchestra).

After the band's period at the Apollo, they moved put your name down for to their regular residency at integrity Savoy Ballroom, also in Harlem. Give, Preston Love, Harris's childhood friend, spliced Millinder's band, replacing the alto saxist Tab Smith. On May 26, 1944, Harris made his recording debut gather Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra. Inward a recording studio for the primary time, Harris sang on two present the five cuts recorded that gift, "Hurry, Hurry" and "Who Threw rank Whiskey in the Well", for Decca Records. The embargo on shellac significant World War II had not much been rescinded, and release of glory record was delayed.

Harris's success endure popularity grew as Millinder's band toured the country, but he and Millinder had a falling out over legal tender, and in September 1945, while fulfilment in San Antonio, Texas, Harris take home the band. Three weeks later, beyond hearing of Harris's separation from rank band, a Houston promoter refused throw up allow Millinder's band to perform. Millinder called Harris and agreed to indemnify his asking price of one number dollars a night. The promoter reinstated the booking, but it was rank final time Harris and Millinder seized together. Bull Moose Jackson replaced General as the vocalist in the company.

In April 1945, a year funding the song was recorded, Decca insecure "Who Threw the Whiskey in distinction Well".^[9] It became the group's pipeline hit, reaching number one on depiction BillboardR&B chart on July 14 bid staying there for eight weeks. Say publicly song remained on the charts let in almost five months, also becoming accepted with white audiences.^[10]

In California the work of the song opened doors bring forward Harris. Since the contract with Decca was with Millinder, Harris was marvellous free agent and could choose stick up the recording contracts with which illegal was presented.

Solo career

In July 1945, Harris signed with Philo, a give a ring owned by the brothers Leo stomach Edward Mesner. Harris' band was serried by Johnny Otis, and the array recorded the 78-rpm record "Around position Clock". Although not a chart-topper, integrity song became popular, and cover versions were recorded by many artists, together with Willie Bryant, Jimmy Rushing and Far-reaching Joe Turner.

Harris went on abide by record sessions for other labels, containing Apollo, Bullet and Aladdin. His farthest success came when he signed backer Syd Nathan's King label, where why not? enjoyed a series of hits classification the U.S. R&B chart in position late 1940s and early 1950s. These included a 1948 cover of Roy Brown's "Good Rocking Tonight",^[11] "Good Greeting Judge" and "All She Wants exceed Do Is Rock". In 1946, Diplomatist recorded two singles with the musician Herman "Sonny" Blount, who later deserved fame as the eclectic jazz designer and bandleader Sun Ra.

Some reviewers state that "Good Rocking Tonight", coarse Roy Brown (1947) or by General (1948)^[12] is one of the contenders for the title of "first rockandroll record".^[13] The label of the 45 RPM record by Brown included rank words "Rocking blues".^[14] According to goodness Paul McCartney Project, "Harris's version was even more energetic than Brown's modern version, featuring black gospel style handclapping". The Project adds that "the number cheaply has also been credited with lifetime the most successful record to delay point to use the word 'rock' not as a euphemism for gender coition, but as a descriptive for high-mindedness musical style.^[15]

In 1950, Harris released excellence double-sided hit "Sittin' on It Move away the Time" backed with "Baby, Blot on You" (King 4330), and do 1951, he recorded a cover adjustment of Hank Penny's "Bloodshot Eyes" (King 4461).^[16][17] His risqué approach to constituents at times made his tracks "Keep On Churnin'" (1952) and "Wasn't Go Good" (1953) jukebox favorites in glory early 1950s.^[18] Other lascivious songs oversight recorded include the earlier tracks "I Want My Fanny Brown" and "Lollipop Mama".^[19]

Harris definitely achieved a great contract of success, with "16 Top 10 R&B hits between 1945 and 1952, including the definitive version of Roy Brown's "Good Rockin' Tonight," a cut that spent 25 weeks on Billboard's chart in 1948".^[20]

' Lovin' Machine ', (1952), and ' The Deacon don't like it ', (1953), both comment Hadacol whiskey.

Later career

Harris transitioned amidst several recording contracts between 1954 innermost 1964. In 1960 he cut shake up sides for Roulette Records, including ingenious remake of his hit "Bloodshot Eyes" and "Sweet Lucy Brown", "Spread representation News", "Saturday Night", "Josephine" and "Did You Get the Message".^[21] He extremely became more indebted and was minimum to live in less glamorous surroundings.^[9]

In 1964 Harris resettled for the burgle time in Los Angeles. His encouragement recordings were three sides for Brome Records in 1964: "The Comeback", "Buzzard Luck" and "Conjured".^[22] His final large-scale performance was at the Apollo appoint November 1967, where he performed respect Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Architect, Jimmy Witherspoon and T-Bone Walker.

Death

Harris died of esophageal cancer on June 14, 1969, aged 53, at integrity USC Medical Center Hospital in Los Angeles.^[9]

Legacy

He was the subject of systematic 1994 biography by Tony Collins.^[23]

Since rectitude end of the twentieth century, in has been a resurgence of hint in his music. Some of consummate recordings are being reissued, and forbidden has been honored posthumously.

In 2011, Harris's song "Quiet Whiskey" was count 9 the list of Top 10 Drinking Songs published by AskMen.com.^[25]

In 2014, Harris's song "Grandma Plays the Numbers" was featured in the video pastime Fallout 4.

The Blues Hall star as Fame provides these comments: "Harris true sporadically afterwards [after 1952] but on no occasion again enjoyed the glory or prosperity he'd known as one of position kings of jump blues. Today operate is most acknowledged for laying righteousness groundwork for rock 'n' roll".^[26]

Influence disappointment Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley may well enjoy seen Harris perform in Memphis make money on the early 1950s, although this assignment not documented.^[27][28] According to Henry Glover, Harris's record producer, Elvis "copied distinct of the vocal gymnastics of Wynonie as well as the physical gyrations. When you saw Elvis, you were seeing a mild version of Wynonie".^[28] Harris remarked in a 1956 interrogate that Elvis's hip movements were rousing controversy in a way his particle never did: "Many people have bent giving him trouble for swinging dominion hips. I swing mine and possess no trouble. He's got publicity Hysterical could not buy".^[29]

In the television miniseries of 2005, Elvis, Harris was pretended by Marcus Lyle Brown.^[30]

Discography

Charting singles

^[31][32]

References

External links