Boyd Gilmore
| Boyd Gilmore | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 1, 1905 Inverness, Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States |
| Died |
December 23, 1976 (aged 71) Fresno, California, United States |
| Genres | Delta blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, guitarist, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar[1] |
| Years active | Early 1950s – 1976 |
| Labels | Modern Records, Sun Records |
Boyd Gilmore (June 1, 1905 – December 23, 1976)[2] was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. Amongst the songs he wrote were "All in My Dreams", "Believe I'll Settle Down", "I Love My Little Woman" and "If That's Your Girl". Gilmore also recorded a version of fellow Delta bluesman Robert Johnson's track, "Ramblin' on My Mind".[3]
He could play guitar, although there is no recorded evidence of his work on that instrument. According to AllMusic, he was "an exuberant singer".[1]
Biography
Gilmore was born near Inverness, in Sunflower County, Mississippi,[2]
He recorded "Ramblin' on My Mind" on January 23, 1952, at Casablanca Lounge in Greenville, Mississippi, which he sang with accompaniment by Ike Turner on piano and Jesse "Cleanhead" Love on drums.[2] The track was released by Modern Records, with "Just an Army Boy" on the B-side. At the same session, Gilmore recorded several other songs, including "All in My Dreams" and "Take a Little Walk with Me", which were released by Modern as a single. James Scott Jr. accompanied him on guitar, but his part fell victim to early recording technology, as an introduction and guitar break from Elmore James's "Please Find My Baby" was later spliced into "All in My Dreams".[1][2]
Gilmore recorded "Believe I'll Settle Down" for Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee in July 1953, accompanied by Pinetop Perkins on piano, Earl Hooker on guitar and Willie Nix on drums, but like some of his earlier recordings, it was not released at the time.[1][2]
After his brief recording career, Gilmore performed in juke joints in the Delta for a while. He also performed regularly in St. Louis, Missouri, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, during which period he lived in a boarded-up abandoned house.[2] During his time in Pine Bluff, Gilmore and Houston Stackhouse performed together, as they had previously, in the early 1950s.[4] Whilst in Pine Bluff, he often performed at a small club called Jack Rabbitts.[5] In the mid-1960s, Gilmore settled in California and lived there until his death in 1976.[1]
Gilmore was interred at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Fresno, California.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Boyd Gilmore: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Illustrated Boyd Gilmore Discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- ↑ "Boyd Gilmore: Songs". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- ↑ O'Neal, Jim; van Singel, Amy (eds.). The Voice of the Blues: Classic Interviews from Living Blues Magazine. Books.google.co.uk. p. 123. ISBN 0-415-93654-3. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- ↑ "Tail Dragger Talks. Interview by Liz Mandeville". Chicagobluesguide.com. Retrieved 2016-10-30.