Louisiana Red

Louisiana Red

Louisiana Red performing in Düsseldorf, Germany
Background information
Birth name Iverson Minter
Born (1932-03-23)March 23, 1932[1]
Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.[2]
Died February 25, 2012(2012-02-25) (aged 79)[3]
Hanover, Germany
Genres Blues
Occupation(s)
Instruments
Years active 1949–2012
Labels
Associated acts
Website Official website
Louisiana Red at Djurs Blues Festival, Denmark
Photo Hreinn Gudlaugsson

Iverson Minter (March 23, 1932 – February 25, 2012), known as Louisiana Red, was an African-American blues guitarist, harmonica player, and singer, who recorded more than 50 albums. He was best known for his song "Sweet Blood Call".[3]

Biography

Born in Bessemer, Alabama,[3] Minter lost his parents early in life; his mother died of pneumonia shortly after his birth, and his father was lynched by the Ku Klux Klan in 1937.[1] He was brought up by a series of relatives in various towns and cities. Red recorded for Chess in 1949, before joining the Army. He was trained as a parachutist with the 82nd Airborne and was sent to Korea in 1951. The 82nd Airborne was not deployed as a complete unit in Korea, but soldiers from this unit were dispatched as Rangers in the 2nd, 3rd and 7th Infantry Divisions. Minter said he was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division.

After leaving the Army, he played with John Lee Hooker in Detroit for two years in the late 1950s.[1] He recorded for Checker Records in 1952, billed as Rocky Fuller.[4]

His first album, Lowdown Back Porch Blues, was recorded in New York with Tommy Tucker and released in 1963. His second album, Seventh Son, was released later the same year.[5] Louisiana Red released the single "I'm Too Poor to Die" for the Glover label in 1964. It peaked at number 117 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 30 on the Cashbox chart. (Billboard did not publish an R&B chart in 1964.)

He maintained a busy recording and performing schedule through the 1960s and 1970s, working in sessions for Chess, Checker, Atlas, Glover, Roulette, L&R and Tomato, amongst others.[1] In 1983 he won a W. C. Handy Award for Best Traditional Blues Male Artist.[6][7] He lived in Hanover, Germany, from 1981.[8]

He appeared in the films Rockpalast (1976), Comeback (1982), Ballhaus Barmbek (1988), Red and Blues (2005) and Family Meeting (2008).[9]

In 1994, Louisiana Red fused the blues with the urban Greek music of the bouzouki player Stelios Vamvakaris, on the album Blues Meets Rembetika.[4] He continued to tour, including regular returns to the United States,[7] until his death. In 2011, Louisiana Red released the album Memphis Mojo, to broad public acclaim.[10]

Death

Michael Messer noted on February 25, 2012, "I am very sorry to be bringer of such sad news that my dear friend, Louisiana Red, died this morning. He had a stroke on Monday and had been in a coma."[11] He died in Hanover, aged 79.[3]

Awards

Discography

Albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Guest appearances (selected)

Various artists (selected)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Wynn, Ron. Louisiana Red: Biography. Allmusic.com.
  2. ↑ "Flash-Intro - Louisiana Red". Louisiana-red.com. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Accessed 2012-02-28.
  4. 1 2 Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. pp. 138–139. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  5. ↑ Owens, Thom "Louisiana Red, Lowdown Back Porch Blues". Allmusic.com.
  6. ↑ "Blues Foundation Winners 1983". Blues Music Awards. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
  7. 1 2 "Brookhaven National Lab News". Bnl.gov. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Louisiana Red". Louisiana-red.com. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Louisiana Red". IMDb. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Bman's Blues Report: New Release from Ruf Records: Memphis Mojo – Louisiana Red and Little Victor's Juke Joint". Bmansbluesreport.com. 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  11. ↑ "Louisiana Red Has Passed. This Is Confirmed.". Bmansbluesreport.com. 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
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