Big Jack Johnson
| Big Jack Johnson | |
|---|---|
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Big Jack Johnson performing at the Chicago Blues Festival, 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
July 30, 1940 Lambert, Mississippi, United States |
| Died |
March 14, 2011 (aged 70) Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Delta blues, country blues, electric blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1960–2011 |
| Labels | Earwig Records, various |
| Associated acts | Jelly Roll Kings, Big Jack Johnson and the Oilers |
Big Jack Johnson (July 30, 1940 – March 14, 2011) was an American electric blues musician.
One commentator noted that Johnson, along with R. L. Burnside, Paul "Wine" Jones, Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes and James "Super Chikan" Johnson, were "present-day exponents of an edgier, electrified version of the raw, uncut Delta blues sound."[1]
Biography
Johnson was born in Lambert, Mississippi in 1940.[2] His father was a country and blues musician. Johnson started playing with him, but in his teens shifted to an electric guitar. In 1962, Johnson joined with Sam Carr and Frank Frost to form The Jelly Roll Kings and The Nighthawks.[3] Johnson's first recordings as a vocalist appeared on the 1979 album Rockin' the Juke Joint Down, on Earwig Music. With Frost as the bandleader, they performed and recorded together for 15 years.[4]
He has recorded both solo and as a member of the blues groups the Jelly Roll Kings[2] and Big Jack Johnson and the Oilers (with poet/musician Dick Lourie). Johnson's album for Earwig, The Oil Man (1987), includes "Catfish Blues."[4]
He performed and wrote "Jack's Blues" and performed "Catfish Medley" with Samuel L. Jackson on the Black Snake Moan film soundtrack.[5] Daddy, When Is Mama Comin Home? (1990) presents social concerns.[4]
Johnson died from an undisclosed illness on March 14, 2011.[6] According to family members, he had struggled with health issues in his final years, worsening to the point that there were erroneous reports of his death several times in the weeks prior to his death.
Partial discography
- The Oil Man (1987)
- Rooster Blues (1987)
- Daddy, When Is Mama Comin' Home (1991)
- We Got to Stop This Killin' (1996)
- Live in Chicago (1997)
- All the Way Back* (1998)
- Live In Chicago* (1998)
- Roots Stew* (2000)
- The Memphis Barbecue Sessions (2002)
- Black Snake Moan (2007)
Source:[7]
Filmography
- The Jewish Cowboys (2003) (TV)
- Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads (1992)
References
- ↑ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 160. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Big Jack Johnson Bio" (PDF). JW Entertainment at Hudson River Park web site. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
- ↑ Russell, Tony (2011-06-01). "Big Jack Johnson Obituary". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Dahl, Bill. "Allmusic biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ↑ "Soundtracks for Black Snake Moan". at the Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
- ↑ Mississippi bluesman Big Jack Johnson dies
- ↑ "Allmusic ((( Big jack Johnson > Discography > Main Albums )))".
External links
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