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Jimmy Reed
Vee-Jay Records press photograph — photographer unrecorded/unknown (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)
Chicago

Jimmy Reed

This artist is no longer with us.
Born: September 6, 1925, Dunleith, Mississippi · Died: August 29, 1976, Oakland, California (respiratory failure)• United States
Chicago BluesElectric Blues
Jimmy Reed's records outsold nearly every other blues artist of his era, and yet the man whose name is on them may not have been the sole author of his own songs — his wife Mary, known to everyone as "Mama Reed," is usually audible on the records themselves, whispering the next line into his ear just before he sang it. He was born September 6, 1925, in Dunleith, Mississippi. His musical education started young and close to home: a childhood friend named Eddie Taylor taught him guitar and harmonica around Leland, Mississippi, and the two played together as a duo around the Delta, Reed blowing harmonica on a neck rack while picking his distinctive, loping guitar turnarounds. Taylor would later insist, pointedly, "The Jimmy Reed style is MY style" — a claim Reed just as pointedly disputed, saying Taylor "ain't had nothing to do with it, no more than just during the time when we was down South" (Kilde: Wikipedia). Reed left Mississippi for Chicago in 1943, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II until his 1945 discharge, and then settled in Gary, Indiana, working at an Armour meat-packing plant. He married Mary in 1945, and reconnected with Eddie Taylor after both men had relocated north — Taylor went on to play guitar on most of Reed's Vee-Jay sessions, and whatever their disagreements over credit, few dispute that Taylor's contribution was central to the sound that made Reed famous (Kilde: Wikipedia). Drummer Albert King helped him land a deal with the newly formed Vee-Jay Records, and Reed's first hit, "You Don't Have to Go," arrived within a year of signing. What followed was a run of commercial success matched by few other blues artists of the period: "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" (1956), "Honest I Do" (1957), "Baby What You Want Me to Do" (recorded August 7, 1959, released that November), "Big Boss Man" (recorded March 1960, released April 1961) and "Bright Lights, Big City" (August 1961), the last two both co-written with Mama Reed and both landing in the Billboard top ten (Kilde: Wikipedia). Mama Reed was present at nearly every session, and it's now well documented that she wrote several of the songs credited solely to her husband and, on many of his most famous records, can be heard whispering his own lyrics into his ear moments before he sings them (Kilde: Wikipedia). His success came alongside serious personal struggles. He drank heavily throughout his career, and in 1957 began experiencing seizures that were initially misdiagnosed as delirium tremens brought on by alcohol withdrawal — it was actually epilepsy, a condition that went properly treated only much later in his life (Kilde: Wikipedia). He died of respiratory failure in Oakland, California, on August 29, 1976, at 50, and was buried at Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois (Kilde: Wikipedia).

Musical Influence

The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Van Morrison's Them, the Steve Miller Band and the Grateful Dead all recorded Jimmy Reed songs, and his loping, laid-back shuffle became one of the most widely imitated grooves in rock and roll — simple enough that thousands of bar bands could learn it, distinctive enough that almost no one else could quite replicate its feel. He was posthumously inducted into both the Blues Hall of Fame (1980) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1991) (Kilde: Wikipedia).

Influences

Eddie Taylor

Family and personal life

Wife
Mary "Mama" Reed

Married 1945; usually present at his recording sessions, wrote several songs credited to him alone, and is audible whispering his own lyrics to him on many of his most famous records.

Formative experiences

  • •Childhood: Learned guitar and harmonica from friend Eddie Taylor around Leland, Mississippi. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1943: Left Mississippi for Chicago. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1945: Married Mary "Mama" Reed; discharged from the U.S. Navy. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1953: Signed to Vee-Jay Records with drummer Albert King's help. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1957: Began experiencing seizures, initially misdiagnosed as alcohol-related delirium tremens rather than epilepsy. (Kilde: Wikipedia)

Stories & Anecdotes

"Eddie Taylor, who taught him guitar as a child, later insisted "The Jimmy Reed style is MY style" — a claim Reed disputed just as pointedly. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"Mama Reed can be heard whispering lyrics into his ear moments before he sings them on several of his most famous recordings. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"His 1957 seizures were initially misdiagnosed as alcohol-withdrawal delirium tremens rather than the epilepsy they actually were. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

Collaborators

Eddie Taylor

Childhood friend who taught him guitar and played on most of his Vee-Jay sessions.

Mary "Mama" Reed

Wife and uncredited co-writer/backing presence on many of his biggest hits.

Albert King (drummer)

Helped him secure his contract with Vee-Jay Records.

Watch & Listen

Featured

Jimmy Reed - Baby What You Want Me To Do (Official Audio)

Recorded August 7, 1959 — one of the most-covered blues songs in rock history.

Jimmy Reed

Big Boss Man – Jimmy Reed | Original 1961 Chicago Blues Recording

Big Boss Man – Jimmy Reed | Original 1961 Chicago Blues Recording

1961 Jimmy Reed - Bright Lights, Big City

1961 Jimmy Reed - Bright Lights, Big City

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Discography

YearTitleProducerStudioLabelChartSalesMusiciansYouTubeNotes
1953Vee-Jay Records debutVee-Jay Records—Vee-Jay——Eddie Taylor (Guitar)First hit, "You Don't Have to Go," within a year of signing.
1956"Ain't That Lovin' You Baby"Vee-Jay Records—Vee-Jay——Eddie Taylor (Guitar)
1957"Honest I Do"Vee-Jay Records—Vee-Jay——Eddie Taylor (Guitar)
1959"Baby What You Want Me to Do"Vee-Jay Records—Vee-Jay——Mary "Mama" Reed (Vocals/co-writer)Recorded August 7, 1959, released November 1959.
1961"Big Boss Man"Vee-Jay Records—Vee-Jay——Eddie Taylor (Guitar)Recorded March 1960, released April 1961.
1961"Bright Lights, Big City"Vee-Jay Records—Vee-Jay——Mary "Mama" Reed (Co-writer)Released August 1961; co-written with Mama Reed, reached the Billboard R&B top ten.

Famous songs

01Baby What You Want Me to Do
02Big Boss Man
03Bright Lights Big City
04Honest I Do
05Ain't That Lovin' You Baby

External links

YouTube Music Wikipedia

Sources

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