Gatemouth Moore

Arnold Dwight Moore (November 8, 1913 – May 19, 2004), better known as Gatemouth Moore and later Reverend Gatemouth Moore, was an American blues and gospel singer, songwriter and pastor. A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, he claimed to have earned his nickname as a result of his loud speaking and singing voice.^[1] During his career as a recording artist, Moore worked with various jazz musicians, including Bennie Moten, Tommy Douglas and Walter Barnes, and had songs recorded by B.B. King and Rufus Thomas.^[2]

Moore was born in Topeka, Kansas. His first billing in Chicago was as Gatemouth Moore at the Rhumboogie in early 1945 and later several times at the Club DeLisa (1946–1947 and 1948–1949), where suddenly, in the middle of singing his hit "I Ain't Mad at You Pretty Baby", he switched into a gospel song.^[3]

In 1949, Moore was ordained as a minister First Church of Deliverance in Chicago and went on to preach and perform, as Reverend Gatemouth Moore, as a gospel singer and DJ at several radio stations in Memphis, Birmingham and Chicago.^[1]

Moore holds distinctions as a survivor of the 1940 Natchez Rhythm Club Fire and as the first blues singer to perform at Carnegie Hall.^[1] A brass note on Beale Street Walk of Fame was dedicated to Moore in 1996.^[4] He was also featured in the The Road to Memphis segment (directed and photographed by Richard Pearce) of the Martin Scorsese executive produced 2003 documentary The Blues.

He died in Yazoo City, Mississippi at age 90.

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