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Magic Sam
Publicity photograph — photographer unrecorded/unknown (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)
Chicago

Magic Sam

This artist is no longer with us.
Born: February 14, 1937, Grenada County, Mississippi · Died: December 1, 1969, Chicago, Illinois (heart attack)• United States
Chicago BluesElectric Blues
Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called Magic Sam's version of "Sweet Home Chicago" "as definitive as this" gets, crediting it with creating "the soul-injected, high-voltage modern blues sound that everybody has emulated and nobody has topped in the years since." He died at 32, less than three months after the performance that should have launched him into blues stardom, and never got to find out how right that assessment would turn out to be. He was born Samuel Gene Maghett on February 14, 1937, in Grenada County, Mississippi. His stage name came from his bass player and childhood friend Mack Thompson, coined during his very first Cobra Records session because his existing nickname, "Good Rocking Sam," was already claimed by another artist (Kilde: Wikipedia). He moved to Chicago in 1956 at nineteen and quickly found work in the West Side blues clubs, where he became — alongside fellow Cobra artists Otis Rush and Buddy Guy — one of the three pioneering figures of what came to be known as the West Side sound. Producer Willie Dixon put his finger on exactly what made Sam different: "Most of the guys were playing the straight 12-bar blues thing, but the harmonies that he carried with the chords was a different thing altogether" (Kilde: Wikipedia). His Cobra debut single, "All Your Love," came out in 1957 and established his reputation even without major chart success, distinguished by his high, keening vocal delivery and his signature tremolo guitar tone. He recorded for Cobra through 1959, including "Easy Baby" and material composed by Dixon, then moved to Chief Records for 1960–1961, cutting "Mr. Charlie" among other sides. During this period he was drafted into the U.S. Army but deserted, resulting in six months' imprisonment and a dishonorable discharge (Kilde: Wikipedia). His 1963 single "Feelin' Good (We're Gonna Boogie)" brought him his first taste of national attention, and he recorded again for the small Crash label in 1966, including "Out of Bad Luck." His most celebrated work came at Delmark Records between 1967 and 1969: the albums "West Side Soul" (recorded July and October 1967 at Sound Studios, Chicago, released April 1968) and "Black Magic," which together are now regarded as some of the definitive modern Chicago blues recordings. "West Side Soul" included his version of "Sweet Home Chicago," the recording Erlewine would later single out as unmatched (Kilde: Wikipedia). Everything changed, too late, at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival, where his performance was so overwhelming it immediately opened up booking opportunities across the United States and Europe that had never been available to him before. He toured and performed alongside Charlie Musselwhite, drummer Sam Lay and his own uncle, harmonica player Shakey Jake Harris (Kilde: Wikipedia). Less than three months later, on December 1, 1969, he died of a heart attack in Chicago at 32. He was buried at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. In February 1970, the Butterfield Blues Band organized a benefit concert at San Francisco's Fillmore West featuring Mike Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite and Nick Gravenites in his memory (Kilde: Wikipedia). John Belushi later dedicated a performance to "the late great Magic Sam" in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers."

Musical Influence

Magic Sam's tremolo-drenched guitar tone and soul-inflected vocal delivery directly shaped the sound of West Side Chicago blues that Buddy Guy would carry forward into international stardom. His death at 32, just as wider recognition was finally arriving, has made him something of a patron saint of blues musicians who died before their reputations could catch up with their talent — a status cemented when John Belushi dedicated an on-screen performance to "the late great Magic Sam" in 1980's "The Blues Brothers." His two Delmark albums, "West Side Soul" and "Black Magic," are both individually inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame's Classics of Blues Recording category (Kilde: Wikipedia).

Influences

West Side Chicago blues tradition

Family and personal life

Wife
Georgia Maghett

Survived him after his death in 1969.

Uncle
Shakey Jake Harris

Harmonica player; performed and toured with Sam.

Formative experiences

  • •1956: Moved to Chicago at 19. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1957: Debut single "All Your Love" on Cobra Records. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •Early 1960s: Drafted into the U.S. Army, deserted, served 6 months in prison and was dishonorably discharged. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1967–1968: Recorded "West Side Soul" for Delmark, released April 1968. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1969: A triumphant performance at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival opened up national and international bookings — just months before his death. (Kilde: Wikipedia)

Instruments & Equipment

Guitar

Electric guitar (signature tremolo tone)

Known for a distinctive, heavily tremolo-inflected guitar sound combined with unusually sophisticated chord harmonies for the genre.

Stories & Anecdotes

"His stage name was invented on the spot by bassist Mack Thompson during his first Cobra session, because his old nickname "Good Rocking Sam" was already taken. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"Deserted the U.S. Army and served six months in prison before receiving a dishonorable discharge. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"His triumphant 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival set opened the door to international touring — he died less than three months later. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"John Belushi dedicated a performance to "the late great Magic Sam" in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers." (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

Collaborators

Mack Thompson

Bass player and childhood friend who coined his stage name.

Otis Rush & Buddy Guy

Fellow Cobra Records artists and co-pioneers of the West Side sound.

Willie Dixon

Composed material for his Cobra recordings.

Shakey Jake Harris

Uncle and harmonica player; performed and toured with him.

Watch & Listen

Featured

Magic Sam ~ West Side Soul (Full Album) 1967

His celebrated Delmark album, including a version of "Sweet Home Chicago" critics still call unmatched.

Dimitris Koutsiaftis

Magic Sam ~ 'All Your Love' & 'Love Me With A Feeling' 1957

Magic Sam ~ 'All Your Love' & 'Love Me With A Feeling' 1957

Magic Sam - Sweet Home Chicago / 1967

Magic Sam - Sweet Home Chicago / 1967

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Discography

YearTitleProducerStudioLabelChartSalesMusiciansYouTubeNotes
1957Cobra Records era, ChicagoCobra Records—Cobra———1957–1959; debut single "All Your Love," plus "Easy Baby" and Willie Dixon-composed material.
1960Chief Records eraChief Records—Chief———1960–1961; includes "Mr. Charlie."
1963"Feelin' Good (We're Gonna Boogie)"——————His first single to reach national attention.
1966Crash Records eraCrash Records—Crash———Includes "Out of Bad Luck."
1968West Side SoulDelmark Records—Delmark———Recorded July/October 1967, released April 1968; includes his celebrated version of "Sweet Home Chicago."
1969Black MagicDelmark Records—Delmark——Charlie Musselwhite (Harmonica), "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow (Bass), Sam Lay (Drums)Both this and "West Side Soul" are individually inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame's Classics of Blues Recording category. His late-1960s touring band included harp player Charlie Musselwhite.

Famous songs

01All Your Love
02Sweet Home Chicago
03Feelin' Good (We're Gonna Boogie)
04Easy Baby

External links

YouTube Music Wikipedia

Sources

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