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King Biscuit Boy

Photo: Johnny V (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Modern

King Biscuit Boy

This artist is no longer with us.

Born: March 9, 1944, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada · Died: January 5, 2003, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada• Canada• Active: 1961–2003

Electric BluesBlues Rock

King Biscuit Boy, born Richard Alfred Newell in Hamilton, Ontario, was one of Canada's most celebrated and influential harmonica players, known for his raw Chicago-inspired style.

Ronnie Hawkins gave Richard Newell his stage name in the summer of 1969, borrowing it from "King Biscuit Time," the pioneering blues radio broadcast out of Helena, Arkansas — and in doing so, tied a Hamilton, Ontario harmonica player directly to the same Delta broadcasting lineage that had launched Sonny Boy Williamson II decades earlier. It fit. King Biscuit Boy would go on to become the first Canadian blues artist ever to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. He was born Richard Alfred Newell on March 9, 1944, in Hamilton, Ontario, to Lily and Walter Newell — his father a Royal Air Force serviceman stationed in Canada during the Second World War. He bought his first harmonica at twelve and developed eclectic tastes early, including a lasting soft spot for 1950s doo-wop. He played through a string of local Hamilton bands — the Barons (1961–1965), later renamed Son Richard and the Chessmen, and then the Mid-Knights — building a reputation on the Ontario club circuit through the 1960s (Kilde: Wikipedia). The turning point came in the summer of 1969, when he helped form "And Many Others," Ronnie Hawkins's backing band, and received his lasting nickname from Hawkins himself. When Hawkins fired the entire band in early 1970, the musicians regrouped as Crowbar, releasing the album "Official Music" (1970) through Love Productions. King Biscuit Boy would continue playing with Crowbar intermittently throughout his career even as he pursued a parallel solo path (Kilde: Wikipedia). He signed to Paramount/Epic Records and released seven solo albums over the following decades, earning two Juno Award nominations. His highest-charting single, "New Orleans," reached number 68 on the Canadian chart in September 1975, drawn from his self-titled 1974 album — recorded in New Orleans and often called "The Brown Derby Album" — on which he was backed by Allen Toussaint's studio band, the Meters. His catalog also includes "Gooduns" (1971) and "Biscuits 'n' Gravy" (1981) on Daffodil Records, "Mouth of Steel" (1982/1984) on Red Lightnin', and "Urban Blues Re: Newell" (1995) on Blue Wave (Kilde: Wikipedia). Across his career he shared stages and studios with Muddy Waters, Joe Cocker and Janis Joplin, and kept a lifelong friendship with fellow Crowbar veteran Sonny Del-Rio, with whom he recorded "Two Hound Blues," released posthumously in 2003. Critic Robert Christgau praised his "virtuoso harmonica" playing, noting his commitment to raw, unpolished Chicago-style tone; Newell was known for preferring Hohner Special 20 diatonic harmonicas and rarely reaching for a chromatic instrument (Kilde: Wikipedia). His later years were marked by heavy drinking that damaged his health and led to cancelled shows. He died at home in Hamilton on January 5, 2003, two months before his 59th birthday. Friends established the annual "Blues with a Feeling" benefit concert in his memory, first held at Club 77 in Hamilton within months of his death, and created a music scholarship fund in his name at Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology — efforts that continue today under "The Friends of Richard Newell" (Kilde: Wikipedia).

Musical Influence

King Biscuit Boy became the first Canadian blues artist ever to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, establishing a template for Canadian harmonica-driven blues that influenced generations of players in Hamilton's still-thriving blues scene. His work with Crowbar and his sessions with Allen Toussaint's Meters connected Canadian blues directly to New Orleans and Chicago traditions, and the annual "Blues with a Feeling" benefit concert established in his memory remains a fixture of Hamilton's music calendar (Kilde: Wikipedia).

Influences

Sonny Boy Williamson IIChicago blues tradition

Family and personal life

Father

Royal Air Force serviceman stationed in Canada during World War II.

Mother

—

Wife

Jacqueline Willetts

Married 1972, divorced 1979.

Formative experiences

•Age 12: Buys his first harmonica. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•Summer 1969: Helps form Ronnie Hawkins's backing band "And Many Others"; receives his stage name from Hawkins. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•1970: Band members regroup as Crowbar after Hawkins fires them; releases "Official Music." (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•1974: Self-titled album ("The Brown Derby Album") recorded in New Orleans with the Meters. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•September 1975: "New Orleans" becomes his highest-charting single, reaching #68 in Canada. (Kilde: Wikipedia)

Instruments & Equipment

Other

Harmonica (Hohner Special 20)

His primary instrument; preferred diatonic harmonicas and rarely played chromatic.

Stories & Anecdotes

"Got his stage name directly from Ronnie Hawkins, who named him after the radio show "King Biscuit Time." (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"Became the first Canadian blues artist ever to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"Recorded his 1974 self-titled album in New Orleans backed by Allen Toussaint's studio band, the Meters. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"Critic Robert Christgau praised his "virtuoso harmonica" playing. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"Friends established the annual "Blues with a Feeling" benefit concert and a music scholarship at Mohawk College in his memory after his 2003 death. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

Collaborators

Gave him his stage name and bandleader role in "And Many Others" (1969).

Band formed by Hawkins's ex-backing musicians; he played with them intermittently throughout his career.

Allen Toussaint & the Meters

Backed him on his 1974 self-titled album, recorded in New Orleans.

Fellow Crowbar veteran and lifelong friend; recorded "Two Hound Blues" together, released posthumously in 2003.

Watch & Listen

Featured

Bum is Mine - King Biscuit Boy 1974

From his 1974 self-titled album, recorded in New Orleans with the Meters.

chromboyx

King Biscuit Boy - Help Me

King Biscuit Boy - Help Me

King Biscuit Boy - Hoy Hoy (1971)

King Biscuit Boy - Hoy Hoy (1971)

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Discography

Year	Title	Producer	Studio	Label	Chart	Sales	Musicians	YouTube	Notes
1970	Official Music (with Crowbar)	—	—	Love Productions	—	—	Roly Greenway (Bass), Larry Atamanuik (Drums), Rheal Lanthier (Lead guitar), John Gibbard (Lead guitar, slide guitar), John Rutter (Percussion), Kelly Jay Fordham (Piano, percussion), Doug Riley (Organ, piano), Richard Bell (Piano), Gregg Mudry (Horn), Moe Koffman (Horn), Steve Kennedy (Horn)		Formed from Ronnie Hawkins's fired backing band. Full backing band credit: Crowbar, engineered by Terry Brown.
1971	Gooduns	—	—	Daffodil Records	—	—	—		—
1974	King Biscuit Boy ("The Brown Derby Album")	Allen Toussaint	—	Epic Records	—	—	The Meters (Backing band)		Recorded in New Orleans; backed by the Meters. Source of "New Orleans," his highest-charting single.
1981	Biscuits 'n' Gravy	—	—	Daffodil Records	—	—	—		—
1982	Mouth of Steel	—	—	Red Lightnin'	—	—	—		Reissued 1984.
1995	Urban Blues Re: Newell	—	—	Blue Wave	—	—	—		—
2003	Two Hound Blues (with Sonny Del-Rio)	—	—	Race Records	—	—	Sonny Del-Rio (Saxophone)		Released posthumously.

Famous songs

01New Orleans

02Hoy Hoy

03Badly Bent

04Bum is Mine

External links

YouTube Music Wikipedia

Sources

King Biscuit Boy — Wikipedia

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