Connie Curtis Crayton (December 18, 1914 – June 25, 1985), known as Pee Wee Crayton, was an American R&B and

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 ...

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...

and

singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

Career

Crayton was born in Rockdale, Texas. He began playing guitar seriously after moving to California in 1935, later settling in

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

. While there, he absorbed the music of

T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''R ...

but developed his own unique approach. His aggressive playing contrasted with his smooth vocal style and was copied by many later blues guitarists. In 1948, he signed a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...

with

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 Hadda Brooks, Etta James, Joe Houston, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turn ...

. One of his first

recordings A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, re ...

was the

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

" Blues After Hours", which reached number 1 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' R&B

chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphics, graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can repres ...

late that year. Its

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 ...

, the

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

"I'm Still in Love with You", and the quicker "Texas Hop" are good examples of his work. In 1950, Crayton and his Orchestra performed at the sixth Cavalcade of Jazz concert, held at

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...

in Los Angeles and produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 25. Featured on the same day were

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

, Roy Milton's Orchestra,

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (; born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a ...

, Tiny Davis and Her Hell Divers, and other artists. 16,000 were reported to be in attendance. The concert ended early because of a fracas while Lionel Hampton played "Flying High". He went on to record for many other

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

s in the 1950s, including Imperial in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Vee-Jay Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana, in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and

Jamie Jamie is a unisex name. Traditionally a masculine name, it can be diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names and is of Scottish English origin. It is also given as a name in its own right. Since the mid-20th century it has been used a ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. It is thought he was the first blues guitarist to use a

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corpora ...

, playing one given to him by

Leo Fender Clarence Leonidas Fender (August 10, 1909 – March 21, 1991) was an American inventor and founder of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Fender designed the company's iconic early instruments: the Fender Telecaster, the first mass-prod ...

. His opening guitar riff on the 1954 single "Do Unto Others" was "quoted" by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

in the beginning of the B-side single version of "

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

" released by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

Apple Records Apple Records is a British record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists inclu ...

in 1968. Crayton’s album ''Things I Used to Do'' was released by

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the so ...

in 1971. He continued to tour and record in the following years. A longtime resident of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, California, Crayton died there 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 ...

in 1985. He was interred in the

Inglewood Park Cemetery Inglewood Park Cemetery, in Inglewood, California, was founded in 1905. A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed there. History The proposed establishment of "the larges ...

Legacy

On May 8, 2019, Crayton was posthumously inducted into 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 ...

by long-time friend Doug MacLeod in a ceremony held in

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 ...

by the

Blues Foundation The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 blues organizations from various parts of the world. Founded in 1980, a 25-person board of directors governs t ...

Discography

10" Shellac (78-rpm) and 7" vinyl (45-rpm) records

*"After Hours' Boogie" / "Why Did You Go", Four Star 1304 (1947, released 1949) *"Don't Ever Fall in Love" / "Pee Wee Special", Gru-V-Tone 217 (1947, released 1949) *"Blues After Hours" / "I'm Still in Love with You", Modern 20-624 (1948) *"Texas Hop" / "Central Avenue Blues", Modern 20-643 (1948) *"Boogie Woogie Basement" / "Boogie Woogie Upstairs", billed as Al "Cake" Wichard Trio Featuring Pee Wee Crayton on Guitar, Modern 20-657 (1949) *"When Darkness Falls" / "Rock Island Blues", Modern 20-658 (1949) *"The Bop Hop" / "I Love You So", Modern 20-675 (1949) *"Long After Hours" / "Brand New Woman", Modern 20-707 (1949) *"Old Fashioned Baby" / "Bounce Pee Wee", Modern 20-719 (1949) *"Please Come Back" / "Rockin' the Blues", Modern 20-732 (1950) *"Some Rainy Day" / "Huckle Boogie", Modern 20-742 (1950) *"Answer to Blues After Hours" / "Louella Brown", Modern 20-763 (1950) *"Good Little Woman" / "Dedicating the Blues", Modern 20-774 (1950) *"Change Your Way of Lovin'" / "Tired of Travelin'", Modern 20-796 (1951) *"Poppa Stoppa" / "Thinkin' of You", Modern 20-816 (1951) *"When It Rains, It Pours" / "Daybreak",

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

3112 (1951) *"Cool Evening" / "Have You Lost Your Love for Me" Modern 20-892 (1952) *"Crying and Walking" / "Pappy's Blues", RIH (

Recorded in Hollywood Recorded In Hollywood was an independent American record label specializing in rhythm and blues, active from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, which issued several sides by artists significant to the genre. John Dolphin (music producer), Joh ...

) 408 (1953) *"I'm Your Prisoner" / "Baby, Pat the Floor", RIH (Recorded in Hollywood) 426 (1953) *"Steppin' Out" / "Hey Little Dreamboat", Hollywood 1055 (1953, released 1956) *"Do Unto Others" / "Every Dog Has A Day", Imperial 5288 (1954) *"Wino-O" / "Hurry, Hurry", Imperial 5297 (1954) *"I Need Your Love" / "You Know, Yeah", Imperial 5321 (1954) *"My Idea About You" / "I Got News for You", Imperial 5338 (1955) *"Eyes Full of Tears" / "Runnin' Wild", Imperial 5345 (1954, released 1955) *"Yours Truly" / "Be Faithful", Imperial 5353 (1955) *"Don't Go" / "I Must Go On", Post (Imperial subsidiary) 2007 (1955, released 1956) *"The Telephone Is Ringing" / "A Frosty Night", Vee Jay 214 (1956) *"I Don't Care" / "I Found My Peace of Mind", with the El Dorados, Vee Jay 252 (1957) *"Is This the Price I Pay" / "Fiddle De Dee", Vee Jay 266 (1957) *"Look Up and Live" / "Give Me One More Chance", with the Four Temps, Fox 102 (1959) *"Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do" / "Little Bitty Things", Jamie 1190 (1960, released 1961) *"I'm Still in Love with You" / "Time on My Hands", Guyden 2048 (1961) *"Git to Gittin'" / "Hillbilly Blues", Smash 1774 (1962)

LP and CD releases and compilations of note

*''Pee Wee Crayton'', Crown LP CLP-5175 (1960), P-Vine LP PLP-6625 (1991) *''Things I Used to Do'', Vanguard 6566 (1971) *''Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies, Volume 5: Pee Wee Crayton'', Blues Spectrum (Johnny Otis's label) LP BS-105 (1974) *''Everyday I Have the Blues'', Big Joe Turner with Crayton and Sonny Stitt, Pablo LP 2310-818 (1978) *''Have No Fear Joe Turner Is Here'', Big Joe Turner and Crayton, Pablo LP 2310-863 (1981) *''Peace of Mind'', Charly R&B LP CFM-601 (1982), 10" vinyl LP containing all 10 tracks that Crayton recorded for Vee Jay Records in 1956–1957 *''Blues Guitar Genius: Pee Wee Crayton, Volume 1'', Ace LP CH-23 (1982), 10" vinyl LP containing tracks recorded for Modern Records, 1949–1952 *''Rocking Down on Central Avenue: Pee Wee Crayton, Volume Two'', Ace LP CHA-61 (1982), tracks recorded for Modern Records. *''Make Room for Pee Wee'', Murray Brothers LP MB-1005 (recorded August 1983) *''Early Hour Blues'', Murray Brothers LP MB-1007 (recorded December 1984) *''Pee Wee Crayton: Memorial Album'', Ace LP CHD-177 (1986), tracks recorded for Modern Records *''After Hours Boogie: Pee Wee Crayton and His Guitar'', Blues Boy LP BB-307 (1988), tracks recorded from 1947 to 1962 for numerous labels, with Crayton's first demo recording, "Pee Wee's Hop" (1945), a piano–guitar–bass instrumental *''Pee Wee's Blues: The Complete Aladdin and Imperial Recordings'', Capitol-EMI 36292 (1996) *''Blues After Hours: The Essential Pee Wee Crayton'', Blues Encore 52045 (1996), recordings made for numerous labels, 1947–1956 *''The Modern Legacy, Volume 1'', Ace CHD-632 (1996) *''Early Hour Blues'', Blind Pig 5052 (1999), CD containing both Murray Brothers albums *''Blues Guitar Magic: The Modern Legacy, Volume 2'', Ace CHD-767 (2000) *''Blues After Hours: The Essential Pee Wee Crayton'', Indigo 2526 (2002), tracks recorded for Modern Records, 1948–1951 *''Texas Blues Jumpin' in Los Angeles: The Modern Music Sessions 1948–1951'', Ace CHD-1400 (2014) *''The Pee Wee Crayton Collection 1947–1962'', Acrobat ADDCD-3202 (2017) 2CD *''Texas Hop and Selected Singles (A's & B's): His Golden Decade 1947–1957'', Jasmine JASMCD-3139 (2020) 2CD

References