J. B. Lenoir
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J. B. Lenoir (March 5, 1929 – April 29, 1967) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter born in Monticello, Mississippi. During the early 40's Lenoir worked with blues artists Sonny Boy Williamson, and Elmore James in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1949, Lenoir moved to Chicago and began to perform at local clubs with blues greats Memphis Minnie, Big Maceo, and Muddy Waters. During the 1950's Lenoir recorded on various labels in the Chicago area such as Chess, JOB, Parrot, and Checker.
J. B. Lenoir was known in the 50s for his particular zebra-patterned costumes and his brilliant female-like voice but he was a very influential musician and composer playing electric guitar. His band included piano (Sunnyland Slim), saxophone (J. T. Brown), and drums (Alfred Wallace). In this period he wrote several blues standards including Don't Dog Your Woman, Mama Talk To Your Daughter, and Don't Touch My Head.
The Civil Rights and Free Speech movements in the U.S. in the 1960s prompted J. B. to record several LPs using acoustic guitar, sometimes accompanied by Willie Dixon on the acoustic bass or drums. His work at this time had an unusually direct political content relative to racism or Vietnam War issues. His "Alabama Blues", for example, included the lines:
I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me (2x)
You know they killed my sister and my brother,
and the whole world let them peoples go down there free
Despite the angry lyrics of many of his songs, Lenoir sang in a disarmingly sweet, laid-back style, and he was widely known as an exceptionally friendly and gentle person. He befriended and encouraged many young blues artists both black and white. He died on April 29, 1967 in Urbana, Illinois from a heart attack related to injuries he suffered in a car accident three weeks earlier. His untimely death is lamented by John Mayall in the song, "Death of J. B. Lenoir".
