James Reed
The best-selling Chicago blues star of the 1950s and '60s, Jimmy Reed's string of classic, straightforward, no-nonsense blues hits like 'Big Boss Man', 'Baby What You Want Me to Do' and 'Ain't That Loving You Baby' not only made him a profound inspiration to early rock & roll acts including Elvis Presley, his influence spread to white blues guitarists like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Ray Vaughan as well as The Rolling Stones. His shrieking harmonica, strident guitar grooves and shuffling vocals created a joyful sound that enraptured R&B audiences and brought him record sales which eclipsed contemporaries like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Little Walter. Yet fame heaped pressures on him that he was woefully equipped to handle and he fell foul to the excesses of stardom and died at the age of 50 without reaping the benefits of the blues boom he helped create.
Born on a plantation at Dunleith, Mississippi in 1925 where he lived until he was 15, he learned to play guitar and harmonica from a local semi-pro musician Eddie Taylor, who went on to become his closest musical collaborator. He started busking and playing small-time clubs before being drafted into the US Navy to serve in World War II, and after the war he moved to Gary, Indiana to work in a meat packing plant. Embraced by the growing local blues scene, his career began to take off in earnest, winning lots of attention for the way he played guitar and harmonica simultaneously. He joined the Gary Kings and, after signing to Vee-Jay Records, had his first hit with 'You Don't Have to Go' in 1956.
His infectious, accessible style then gave him a string of hits and he appeared regularly at the famous Harlem Apollo, his popularity growing further following the 1961 release of a live album from New York's Carnegie Hall. Despite his mounting problems with alcohol resulting in some obviously drunken shows, he maintained a successful recording career, including eleven top 100 hits and 14 records on the R&B Charts. Ultimately, though, drinking and epilepsy took its toll and he died in 1976 during a forlorn period attempting to make a comeback.
©Copyright Music Story 2023
Discography
16 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Potion Queen
Alternative & Indie - Released by Gurthtone Records on 16 Feb 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Book Of Stone
Country - Released by 3569876 Records DK on 21 Feb 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs from Momma's Pen
Country - Released by 3569876 Records DK on 29 Jan 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strange Games
Christopher Norman, James Reed
Pop - Released by Pok Pok on 19 Aug 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Midnight Roses (feat. Don Rogers & Stephanie Campassi)
Country - Released by 3569876 Records DK on 6 Oct 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ain't No Ordinary Dude (The Live Bootleg Sessions, Vol. 1)
Alternative & Indie - Released by 3569876 Records DK on 8 Mar 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Changing Streams
Contemporary Jazz - Released by James Reed on 7 May 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
If I Could Make Friends with the Television
Pop - Released by Mister Norman Music on 11 Jun 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Future Ain't What It Used To Be
Country - Released by 3569876 Records DK on 22 Feb 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Keep This Love Brand New
Miscellaneous - Released by Ktm Records on 1 Jul 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Different Drug
Pop - Released by Mister Norman Music on 2 Jul 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You Can't Take This
Dance - Released by James Reed on 18 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -