Junior Kimbrough
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David "Junior" Kimbrough (July 28, 1930 – January 17, 1998) was an American
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
musician. His best-known works are "Keep Your Hands off Her" and "All Night Long". In 2023, he was inducted in the
Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum operated by the Blues Foundation at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to b ...
.


Early life

Kimbrough was born in Hudsonville, Mississippi, and lived in the north Mississippi hill country near Holly Springs. His father, a barber, played the guitar, and Junior picked his guitar as a child. He was apparently influenced by the guitarists
Mississippi Fred McDowell Fred McDowell (January 12, 1904 – July 3, 1972), known by his stage name Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist of hill country blues music. Career McDowell was born in Rossville, Tennessee. His parents we ...
and Eli Green.


Career

In the late 1950s Kimbrough began playing the guitar in his own style, using mid-tempo rhythms and a steady drone played with his thumb on the bass strings. This style would later be cited as a prime example of
hill country blues Hill country blues (also known as North Mississippi hill country blues or North Mississippi blues) is a regional style of country blues. It is characterized by a strong emphasis on rhythm and percussion, steady guitar riffs, few chord changes, ...
. His music is characterized by the tricky
syncopation In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
between his droning bass strings and his midrange melodies. His soloing style has been described as modal and features languorous runs in the middle and upper registers. The result was described by music critic Robert Palmer as "hypnotic". In solo and ensemble settings it is often polyrhythmic, which links it to the music of Africa. North Mississippi bluesman and former Kimbrough bassist Eric Deaton suggested similarities between Kimbrough's music and that of
Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...
musicians such as Ali Farka Touré. The
music journalist Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
Tony Russell wrote that "his raw, repetitive style suggests an archaic forebear of
John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues that he develo ...
, a character his music shares with that of fellow North Mississippian R. L. Burnside". In 1966, Kimbrough traveled to
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
, to record for Goldwax Records, owned by the R&B and
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
producer Quinton Claunch. Claunch was a founder of Hi Records and is known as the man who gave James Carr and O.V. Wright their starts. Kimbrough recorded one session at American Studios. Claunch declined to release the recordings, deeming them too
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
. Some forty years later, Bruce Watson, of Big Legal Mess Records, approached Claunch to buy the original master tapes and the rights to release the recordings made that day. These songs were released by Big Legal Mess Records in 2009 as ''First Recordings''. Kimbrough's debut release was a
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of
Lowell Fulson Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921March 7, 1999) was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most i ...
's "Tramp" issued as a single on the independent label Philwood in 1967. On the label of the record his name was spelled incorrectly as Junior Kimbell, and the song "Tramp" was listed as "Tram?" The
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
was "You Can't Leave Me". Among his other early recordings are two duets with his childhood friend Charlie Feathers in 1969. Feathers counted Kimbrough as an early influence; Kimbrough gave Feathers some of his earliest lessons on the guitar. Kimbrough recorded little in the 1970s, contributing an early version of "Meet Me in the City" to a European blues anthology. With his band, the Soul Blues Boys (then consisting of bassist George Scales and drummer Calvin Jackson), he recorded again in the 1980s for
High Water High Water or Highwater may refer to: * High water, the state of tide when the water rises to its highest level. Film and television * Highwater (film), ''Highwater'' (film), a 2008 documentary * ''Step Up: High Water'', a web television series * ...
, releasing a single in 1982 ("Keep Your Hands off Her" backed with "I Feel Good, Little Girl"). The label recorded a 1988 session with Kimbrough and the Soul Blues Boys (this time consisting of bassist Little Joe Ayers and drummer "Allabu Juju"), releasing it in 1997 with his 1982 single as ''Do the Rump!'' In 1987 Kimbrough made his New York debut at
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
. He received notice after live footage of him playing "All Night Long" in one of his
juke joint Juke joint (also jukejoint, jook house, jook, or juke) is the African-American vernacular term for an informal establishment featuring music, dancing, gambling, and drinking, primarily operated by African Americans in the southeastern United St ...
s appeared in the film documentary '' Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads'', directed by Robert Mugge and narrated by Robert Palmer. This performance was recorded in 1990, in the Chewalla Rib Shack, a juke joint he opened in that year east of Holly Springs to divert crowds from his packed house parties. Beginning around 1992, Kimbrough operated Junior's Place, a juke joint in Chulahoma, near Holly Springs, in a building previously used as a church. Kimbrough came to national attention in 1992 with his debut album, '' All Night Long''. Robert Palmer produced the album for Fat Possum, recording it in the Chulahoma joint, with Junior's son Kent "Kinney" Kimbrough (also known as Kenny Malone) on drums and R. L. Burnside's son Garry Burnside on bass guitar. The album featured many of his most celebrated songs, including the title track, the complexly melodic "Meet Me in the City," and "You Better Run", a harrowing ballad of attempted rape. ''All Night Long'' earned nearly unanimous praise from
critics A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governme ...
, receiving four stars in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''. His joint in Chulahoma started to attract visitors from around the world, including members of U2,
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
, and
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...
. R. L. Burnside (who recorded for the same label) and the Burnside and Kimbrough families often collaborated on musical projects. A second album for Fat Possum, '' Sad Days, Lonely Nights'', followed in 1994. A
video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
for the album's title track featured Kimbrough, Garry Burnside and Kent Kimbrough playing in Kimbrough's juke joint. The last album he recorded, '' Most Things Haven't Worked Out'', was released by Fat Possum in 1997. Following his death in 1998, Fat Possum released two
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
s of recordings Kimbrough made in the 1990s, '' God Knows I Tried'' (1998) and ''Meet Me in the City'' (1999). A greatest hits compilation, ''You Better Run: The Essential Junior Kimbrough'', followed in 2002.


Personal life

Kimbrough died of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
following a
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
in 1998 in Holly Springs, at the age of 67. According to Fat Possum Records, he was survived by 36 children. He is buried outside his family's church, the Kimbrough Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, near Holly Springs. The
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
musician Charlie Feathers, a friend of Kimbrough's, called him "the beginning and end of all music"; this tribute is written on Kimbrough's tombstone.


Legacy

Fat Possum also released a tribute album, '' Sunday Nights: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough'', in 2005, which featured Iggy & The Stooges (Kimbrough once toured with frontman
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...
), the Black Keys and
Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age ...
. The Black Keys released the EP '' Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough'' as well as '' Delta Kream'', both consisting of covers of Kimbrough's songs. ''
Sweet Tea Sweet tea, also known as sweet iced tea, is a popular style of iced tea commonly consumed in the United States (especially the South) and Indonesia. Sweet tea is most commonly made by adding sugar or simple syrup to black tea while the tea is ...
'', by
Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaug ...
, is another album that borrows heavily from Kimbrough. Richard Johnston, a Kimbrough protégé, keeps this musical tradition alive with one of Junior's sons, performing live on
Beale Street Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of blues music. Today, ...
, in Memphis. His sons Kinney and David Malone Kimbrough, both musicians, kept Junior's Place, which continued to attract big crowds until it burned to the ground on April 6, 2000. , David Malone Kimbrough had a string of company- and self-published solo releases, Kent Kimbrough had one (beside sideman work), and the two have played together with their brother Robert as the Kimbrough Brothers.


Album discography

* ''First Recordings'' (recorded in 1966, released in 2009) * '' All Night Long'' (1992) * '' Sad Days, Lonely Nights'' (1993, released 1994)) * ''Do the Rump!'' (1997) * '' Most Things Haven't Worked Out'' (1997) * '' God Knows I Tried'' (1998) * ''Meet Me in the City'' (1999) * ''You Better Run: The Essential Junior Kimbrough'' (2002) * ''Introducing Junior Kimbrough '' (2021)


Tribute albums

* '' Sunday Nights: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough'' (2005) *
The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, Singing, vocals) and Patrick Carney (Drum kit, drums). The duo began as an Independent music, independent act, record ...
, '' Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough'' (2006)


Films

*'' Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads'' (1992) *''You See Me Laughin': The Last of the Hill Country Bluesmen'' (2003), released by Fat Possum Records, 2005


See also

*
Robert Belfour Robert "Wolfman" Belfour (September 11, 1940 – February 24, 2015) was an American blues musician. He was born in Red Banks, Mississippi. When he was a child, his father, Grant Belfour, taught him to play the guitar, and he continued his tutel ...
* RL Burnside * T-Model Ford


References


Bibliography

*Barlow, William (1993). "Cashing In". Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media: 31. *Bransford, Steve (2004). "Blues in the Lower Chattahoochee Valley". Southern Spaces. *Clarke, Donald (1995). ''The Rise and Fall of Popular Music''. St. Martin's Press. . *Cohn, Lawrence (1993). ''Nothing But the Blues: The Music and the Musicians''. Abbeville Press. . *Dicaire, David (1999). ''Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Legendary Artists of the Early 20th Century''. McFarland. . *Ewen, David (1957). ''Panorama of American Popular Music''. Prentice Hall. . *Ferris, Jean (1993). ''America's Musical Landscape''. Brown & Benchmark. . *Garofalo, Reebee (1997). ''Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA''. Allyn & Bacon. . *Morales, Ed (2003). ''The Latin Beat''. Da Capo Press. . *Schuller, Gunther (1968). ''Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development''. Oxford University Press. . *Southern, Eileen (1997). ''The Music of Black Americans''. W. W. Norton & Company. . *"Muslim Roots of the Blues". SFGate. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/15/INGMC85SSK1.DTL .


External links


Junior Kimbrough page
from Fat Possum Records site

by Greg Johnson, from ''Blues Notes'', April 2002 (from Cascade Blues Association site)

* Kimbrough biographyat
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kimbrough, Junior 1930 births 1998 deaths People from Marshall County, Mississippi People from Holly Springs, Mississippi Delta blues musicians Electric blues musicians Juke Joint blues musicians African-American guitarists American blues singers American blues guitarists American male guitarists Fat Possum Records artists Blues musicians from Mississippi Capricorn Records artists 20th-century American guitarists Guitarists from Mississippi Southland Records artists 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers