Elmore James ( Brooks; January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. Noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. His slide guitar technique earned him the nickname "King of the Slide Guitar".

Biography

Elmore James was born Elmore Brooks in Richland, Holmes County, Mississippi, the son of 15-year-old Leola Brooks, a field hand. His father was probably Joe Willie "Frost" James, who moved in with Leola, and Elmore took his surname. He began making music at the age of 12, using a simple one-string instrument ( diddley bow, or jitterbug) strung on a shack wall. As a teen he performed at dances under the names Cleanhead and Joe Willie James. James was influenced by Robert Johnson, Kokomo Arnold and Tampa Red. He recorded several of Tampa Red's songs. He also inherited from Tampa Red's band two musicians who joined his own backing band, the Broomdusters, "Little" Johnny Jones (piano) and

Odie Payne Odie Payne (August 27, 1926 – March 1, 1989) was an American Chicago blues drummer. Over his long career he worked with a range of musicians, including Sonny Boy Williamson II, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Little Johnny Jones, Tam ...

(drums). In the late 1930s, James worked alongside Sonny Boy Williamson II. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, James joined the U.S. Navy, was promoted to coxswain and took part in the invasion of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic ce ...

. Upon his discharge, he returned to central Mississippi and settled in the town of

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

with his adopted brother Robert Holston. He began recording with Trumpet Records in nearby Jackson in January 1951, first as a sideman again for Sonny Boy Williamson II and for their mutual friend Willie Love and possibly others. He made his debut as a session leader in August with "Dust My Broom", which was a surprise R&B hit in 1952. His backing musicians became known as the Broomdusters. James broke his contract with Trumpet Records to sign with the Bihari brothers through their scout Ike Turner, who played guitar and piano on a couple of his early Bihari recordings. His "I Believe" was a hit a year later. During the 1950s he recorded for the Bihari brothers' Flair Records, Meteor Records, and

Modern Records Modern Records (Modern Music Records before 1947) was an American record company and label formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by the Bihari brothers. Modern's artists included Etta James, Joe Houston, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turner and John Lee ...

; he also recorded for Chess Records and Mel London's Chief Records. He played lead guitar on Big Joe Turner's 1954 top 10 R&B hit "TV Mama". In 1959, he began recording for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records, which released " The Sky Is Crying", " My Bleeding Heart", "Stranger Blues", "

Look on Yonder Wall "Look on Yonder Wall", or "Get Ready to Meet Your Man" as it was first named, is a blues song first recorded in 1945 by James "Beale Street" Clark. Clark, also known as "Memphis Jimmy", was a blues pianist from Memphis, Tennessee. During the 19 ...

", " Done Somebody Wrong", and " Shake Your Moneymaker", among others. James died of a heart attack in Chicago in 1963, as he was about to tour Europe with that year's American Folk Blues Festival. He was buried in the Newport Baptist Church Cemetery, in Ebenezer, Mississippi. Phil Walden of Capricorn Records raised funds for a granite headstone for James's grave. The headstone which reads "King of the Slide Guitar", features a bronze

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

of James playing guitar. It was revealed at a dedication ceremony sponsored by the

Mt. Zion Memorial Fund The Mount Zion Memorial Fund is a non-profit corporation formed in 1989 and named after the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Morgan City, Mississippi, United States. The fund was organized by Raymond 'Skip' Henderson, a former social worke ...

in 1992. James was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as an "Early Influence" inductee. In 2012, he was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Ebenezer.

Influence

James influenced many slide players, such as blues guitarists Homesick James, Hound Dog Taylor, and

J. B. Hutto Joseph Benjamin Hutto (April 26, 1926 – June 12, 1983) was an American blues musician. He was influenced by Elmore James and became known for his slide guitar playing and declamatory style of singing. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame ...

. His single string playing also influenced B.B. King and Chuck Berry. Rock guitarists Jimi Hendrix,

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer best known as the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to prov ...

, Jeremy Spencer, and Frank Zappa have acknowledged his influence. In the Beatles' song " For You Blue", John Lennon plays a slide solo on a Höfner lap steel guitar; George Harrison encourages him with "Go, Johnny, go... Elmore James' got nothin' on this, baby".

Discography

Selected singles

* " Dust My Broom" (1951 & 1965) * " I Believe" (1953) * " Standing at the Crossroads" (1954 & 1965) * " Dust My Blues" (1955) * " It Hurts Me Too" (1957 & 1965) * " The Sky Is Crying" (1960) * "

I Can't Hold Out "I Can't Hold Out", also known as "Talk to Me Baby", is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Elmore James in 1960 for the Chess label. Called a classic and a "popular James standard", it has been interpreted and recorded by sever ...

" (1960) * "

Rollin' and Tumblin' "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (or "Roll and Tumble Blues") is a blues standard first recorded by American singer-guitarist Hambone Willie Newbern in 1929. Called a "great Delta blues classic", it has been interpreted by hundreds of Delta and Chicago ...

" (1960) * " Shake Your Moneymaker" (1961) * "

" (1961) * " Bleeding Heart" (1965) * " One Way Out" (1965) * " Every Day I Have the Blues" (1965)

Selected compilation albums

* ''Blues After Hours'' (1960) * ''Whose Muddy Shoes'' (1969) (split album with John Brim) * ''Street Talkin (1975) * ''King of the Slide Guitar'' (1992) * ''The Classic Early Recordings: 1951–1956'' (1993) * ''The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James'' (1993) * ''Golden Hits'' (1996)

References

External links

Illustrated Elmore James discographyElmore James , Mount Zion Memorial Fund1980 Blues Foundation Hall of Fame Inductee
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Elmore 1918 births 1963 deaths People from Holmes County, Mississippi American blues singers Trumpet Records artists Flair Records artists Meteor Records artists USA Records artists Checker Records artists Modern Records artists Chess Records artists Crown Records artists Blues musicians from Mississippi American blues guitarists American male guitarists Slide guitarists 20th-century American guitarists Guitarists from Mississippi Mississippi Blues Trail African-American guitarists 20th-century African-American male singers