Elmore James
Encyclopedia
Elmore James was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...

, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...

" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.

Biography

James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in Holmes County
Holmes County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Hillside National Wildlife Refuge *Mathews Brake National Wildlife Refuge *Morgan Brake National Wildlife Refuge*Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:...

, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

 (not to be confused with two other locations of the same name in Mississippi). He was the illegitimate son of 15-year-old Leola Brooks, a field hand. His father was probably Joe Willie "Frost" James, who moved in with Leola, and so Elmore took this as his name. His parents adopted an orphaned boy at some point named Robert Holston.

Elmore began making music at the age of 12 using a simple one-string instrument ('diddley bow' or 'jitterbug') strung up on a shack wall. As a teen he was playing at local dances under the names Cleanhead and Joe Willie James. His first marriage was to Minnie Mae, circa 1942 (whom he apparently never divorced). He subsequently married twice, to Georgianna Crump in 1947 and to a woman called Janice circa 1954. (Another reported marriage of Elmore to a Josephine Harris has been found to be a mistaken record of a different Elmore James.)

Becoming a well-known musician in those days, with the rewards of prestige, good free food, illicit free liquor, women's favours, the promise of escape from the hard agricultural work, etc., must have been as attractive to Elmore as it was to the other musicians of that time and earlier, such as the 'second' Sonny Boy Williamson
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Willie "Sonny Boy" Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, from Mississippi. He is acknowledged as one of the most charismatic and influential blues musicians, with considerable prowess on the harmonica and highly creative songwriting skills...

, with whom he played and Robert Johnson with whom he also possibly played. Although Robert Johnson died in 1938, James (like many other musicians) was strongly influenced by him, and by Kokomo Arnold
Kokomo Arnold
Kokomo Arnold was an American blues musician.Born as James Arnold in Lovejoy's Station, Georgia, he got his nickname in 1934 after releasing "Old Original Kokomo Blues" for the Decca label; it was a cover of the Scrapper Blackwell blues song about the city of Kokomo, Indiana...

 and Tampa Red
Tampa Red
Tampa Red , born Hudson Woodbridge but known from childhood as Hudson Whittaker, was an American Chicago blues musician....

. Elmore recorded several of Tampa's songs, and even inherited from his band two of his famous 'Broomdusters', 'Little' Johnny Jones
Little Johnny Jones (pianist)
Little Johnny Jones was an American Chicago blues pianist and singer, best known for his work with Tampa Red, Muddy Waters and Elmore James.-Life and career:Jones was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1924...

 (piano) and Odie Payne
Odie Payne
Odie Payne was an American Chicago blues drummer. Over his long career Payne worked with a range of musicians including Sonny Boy Williamson II, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Little Johnny Jones, Tampa Red, Otis Rush, Yank Rachell, Sleepy John Estes, Little Brother Montgomery, Memphis...

 (drums). There is a dispute as to whether Robert Johnson or Elmore wrote James' trademark song, "Dust My Broom
Dust My Broom
"Dust My Broom" is a blues standard originally recorded as "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom"by Robert Johnson, the Mississippi Delta blues singer and guitarist, on November 23, 1936 in San Antonio, Texas. The song was originally released on 78 rpm format as Vocalion 03475, ARC 7-04-81 and Conqueror 8871...

".

James's demise may have hastened his by his lifelong taste for, and manufacture of, moonshine whiskey, to which he was introduced at an early age. Alcohol definitely killed his band-mates/friends Willie Love
Willie Love
Willie Love was an American Delta blues pianist. He is best known for his association with, and accompaniment of Sonny Boy Williamson II.-Biography:...

 and Johnny Jones at an early age. His regular rhythm guitarist Homesick James
Homesick James
Homesick James was an American blues musician. He most notably played slide guitar, and recorded covers of "Stones In My Passway" and "Homesick"...

 maintained his longevity was due to his not partaking of the heavy drinking sessions after — and often during — gigs, a refusal that was unpopular with the rest of the band. James was also reportedly an extremely fast driver who also loved hunting with guns and dogs in Mississippi.

During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 James joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, was promoted to coxswain and took part in the invasion of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 against the Japanese. Upon his discharge, Elmore returned to central Mississippi and eventually settled in Canton
Canton, Mississippi
Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi. The population was 12,911 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of the metropolitan area surrounding the state capital, Jackson....

 with his adopted brother Robert Holston; it was at this time he learned that he had a serious heart condition. Working in Robert's electrical shop, he devised his unique electric sound, using parts from the shop and an unusual placement of two D'Armond pickups. He began recording with Trumpet Records
Trumpet Records
Trumpet Records was a recording company started by Henry and Lillian McMurry in Jackson, Mississippi in 1951.-History of Trumpet Records:The goal of Trumpet Records was to provide a means of recording some of the most popular combos in the Mississippi Delta region that were going unrecorded because...

 in nearby Jackson in January 1951, first as sideman to the second Sonny Boy Williamson
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Willie "Sonny Boy" Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, from Mississippi. He is acknowledged as one of the most charismatic and influential blues musicians, with considerable prowess on the harmonica and highly creative songwriting skills...

 and also to their mutual friend Wille Love and possibly others, then debuting as a session leader in August with "Dust My Broom". It was a surprise R&B hit in 1952 and turned James into a star. He then broke his recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...

 with Trumpet Records to sign up with the Bihari Brothers through Ike Turner
Ike Turner
Isaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...

 (who played guitar and piano on a couple of his early Bihari recordings). His "I Believe" was another hit a year later. During the 1950s he recorded for the Bihari brothers
Bihari brothers
The Bihari Brothers, Lester, Jules, Saul and Joe, were American music entrepreneurs and the founders of Modern Records in Los Angeles and its subsidiaries such as Meteor Records based in Memphis.-Origins:...

' Flair Records
Flair Records
Flair Records was an American record label owned by the Bihari brothers, launched in the early 1950s. It was a subsidiary of Modern Records. Its most famous artist was Elmore James, who released ten singles with this label .-Singles:...

, Meteor Records
Meteor Records
Meteor Records was a record label started by the Bihari brothers, owners of Modern Records in Los Angeles, in 1952 in Memphis. The label, to be run by Lester Bihari, was a bold experiment to broaden the talent base by focusing on signing and recording Southern regional talent by having recording...

  and Modern Records
Modern Records
Modern Records was an American record label formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by the Bihari brothers. In the 1960s, Modern Records went bankrupt and ceased operations, but the catalogue went with the management into what became Kent Records. This back catalogue was eventually licensed to the UK label...

 labels, as well as for Chess Records
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....

 and Mel London
Mel London
Mel London was a songwriter, record producer, and record label owner. He was active in the Chicago blues and R&B scenes in the 1950s and 1960s...

's Chief Records
Chief Records
Chief Records was an independent record label that operated from 1957 to 1964. Best known for its recordings of Chicago blues artists Elmore James, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, and Earl Hooker, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt and Ricky Allen.Chief Records was...

 (his "It Hurts Me Too
It Hurts Me Too
"It Hurts Me Too" is a blues standard that is "one of the most interpreted blues [songs]". First recorded in 1940 by Tampa Red, the song is a mid-tempo eight-bar blues that features slide guitar...

" was later a hit when he re-recorded it for Enjoy Records
Enjoy Records
Enjoy Records was a record label owned and operated by Bobby Robinson from 1962 through the mid-1980s, and was run out of his record shop at 125th Street and 8th Ave. in Harlem...

). His backing musicians were known as the Broomdusters. In 1959 he began recording for Bobby Robinson
Bobby Robinson (record producer)
Bobby Robinson was an African-American independent record producer and songwriter in New York, most active from the 1950s through the mid 1980s. He produced hits by Wilbert Harrison, The Shirelles, Dave "Baby" Cortez, Elmore James, Lee Dorsey, Gladys Knight & The Pips, King Curtis, Spoonie Gee,...

's Fire Records
Fire Records
Fire Records was an independent record label set up in 1959 by Bobby Robinson . Among others, it released records by Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James and Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup.-Selected discography:...

 label. These include "The Sky Is Crying
The Sky Is Crying (song)
"The Sky Is Crying" is a song that has become a blues standard. The song was written and recorded by Elmore James in 1959. Called "one of his most durable compositions", "The Sky Is Crying" became a R&B record chart hit and has been interpreted and recorded by numerous artists.-Original song:"The...

" (credited to Elmo James and His Broomdusters), "My Bleeding Heart
Bleeding Heart (song)
"Bleeding Heart" is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Elmore James in 1961. Considered "among the greatest of James' songs", "Bleeding Heart" was later popularized by Jimi Hendrix, who recorded several versions of the song.-Original song:"Bleeding Heart" is a slow-tempo...

", "Stranger Blues", "Look on Yonder Wall
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...

", "Done Somebody Wrong", and "Shake Your Moneymaker
Shake Your Moneymaker (song)
"Shake Your Moneymaker" or "Shake Your Money Maker" is a song recorded by Elmore James in 1961 that has become a standard of the blues. Inspired by earlier songs, it has been interpreted and recorded by several blues and other artists...

", all of which are among the most famous of blues recordings.

James died of his third heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 in 1963, just prior to a tour of Europe with that year's 'American Folk Blues Festival.' He was buried in the Newport Baptist Church Cemetery in Ebenezer
Ebenezer, Mississippi
Ebenezer is an unincorporated community located in Holmes County, Mississippi. Ebenezer is located at the intersection of Mississippi Highway 17 and Mississippi Highway 433, approximately south of Lexington and approximately west of Goodman....

, Mississippi.

Sound

James played a wide variety of "blues" (which often crossed over into other styles of music) similar to that of Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...

, Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....

 and some of B. B. King
B. B. King
Riley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...

's work, but distinguished by his guitar's vastly more powerful sound (arguably only equalled in technical ability by King, although in a different style) unbelievably coming from a modified, hollow body traditional acoustic guitar, which sounded like the more modern solid body guitars. He most often played using a slide, but on several recordings he plays without. His voice and style was as instantly recognisable as King's, Muddy's and Wolf's and until he fell foul of the Chicago union, he and his 'Broomdusters' were as popular in the Chicago clubs as any of these musician's bands. James could be reportedly 'difficult' (drinking on the job, not paying out cash, abandoning musicians, double booking etc.) Due to his early death, just before the 1960s "blues boom", and the silence of other famous blues performers, the then current music writers only being interested in 'the stars' not caring to interview his ex-band members, immediate family, children, friends etc. little is known about him. There are no known photos of James performing, apart from those taken (some at the following occasion, and some at a packed club with stylishly dressed couples dancing closely) by George Adins, and no other detailed descriptions or any live recordings.

Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...

 took the Belgian blues fan (George Adins) to see James play in Chicago in 1959, Adins recalled,

Elmore will always remain the most exciting, dramatic blues singer and guitarist that I've ever had a chance to see perform in the flesh. On our way we listened to him on the radio as Big Bill Hill ... was broadcasting direct from that place. I was burning to see Elmore James and before we even pushed open the door of the club, we could hear Elmore's violent guitar sound. Although the place was overcrowded, we managed to find a seat close to the bandstand and the blues came falling down on me as it had never done before. Watching Elmore sing and play, backed by a solid blues band (Homesick James, J.T. Brown, Boyd Atkins and Sam Cassell) made me feel real fine. Wearing thick glasses, Elmore's face always had an expressive and dramatic look, especially when he was real gone on the slow blues. Singing with a strong and rough voice, he really didn't need a mike. On such slow blues as "I'm Worried - "Make My Dreams Come True" - "It Hurts Me", his voice reached a climax and created a tension that was unmistakably the down and out blues. Notwithstanding that raw voice, Elmore sang his blues with a particular feeling, an emotion and depth that showed his country background. His singing was... fed, reinforced by his own guitar accompaniment which was as rough, violent and expressive as was his voice. Using the bottleneck technique most of the time, Elmore really let his guitar sound as I had never heard a guitar sound before. You just couldn't sit still! You had to move...

George also witnessed James at 'Alex Club' in West Side Chicago where...

...he always played for a dance audience and he made the people jump. "Bobby's Rock" was at that time one of the favourite numbers with the crowd and Elmore used to play [it] for fifteen minutes and more. You just couldn't stand that hysteric sound coming down on you. The place was rocking, swinging!


The nearest we have to a recording of a 'live' set by James is his last recorded session by Bobby Robinson, in New York City in 1963 shortly before James death. This session features several takes of "Hand In Hand" which was abandoned and James then played a 'live' set.

His best known song is the blues standard
Blues standard
A blues standard is a blues song that is widely known, performed, and recorded by blues artists. The following list identifies blues standards and some of the blues artists that have recorded them...

 "Dust My Broom" (also known as "Dust My Blues"). The song gave its name to James's band, The Broomdusters. The song's opening slide guitar riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....

 is one of the best-known sounds in all of blues. It is essentially the same riff that appeared in the recording of the same song by Robert Johnson, but James played the riff with electric slide guitar. It was even transformed into a doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...

 chorus on Jesse Stone
Jesse Stone
Jesse Stone was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres...

's "Down in the Alley", recorded by The Clovers
The Clovers
-History:The group formed in 1946 at Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C., with members Harold Lucas, Billy Shelton, and Thomas Woods. John "Buddy" Bailey was added soon after, and they began calling themselves the "Four Clovers", with Bailey on lead...

 and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

. Stone transcribed the riff as: "Changety changety changety changety chang chang!"

Influence

Most electric slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...

 players will admit to the massive, if not, total influence of James' style. He was also a major influence on such successful 'Blues' guitarists as 'Homesick James' (who was a member of Elmore's band 'The Broomdusters' and featured on many of his recordings) John Littlejohn
John Littlejohn
John Wesley Funchess known professionally as John Littlejohn, was an American electric blues slide guitarist. He was active on the Chicago blues circuit from the 1950s to the 1980s.-Biography:...

, Hound Dog Taylor
Hound Dog Taylor
Theodore Roosevelt "Hound Dog" Taylor was an American Chicago blues guitarist and singer.-Career:Taylor was born in Natchez, Mississippi in 1915 . He originally played piano, but began playing guitar when he was 20...

, J. B. Hutto and many others. He also influenced many rock guitarists such as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

' Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....

 and Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...

's Jeremy Spencer
Jeremy Spencer
Jeremy Cedric Spencer , is a British musician, best known as one of the first guitarists in Fleetwood Mac.Spencer was born in Hartlepool, County Durham. He grew up in South London and was educated at Strand School, where he became known for hilarious impressions of the headmaster and several of his...

. John Mayall included the song, "Mr. James," on his 1969 "Looking Back" album as a dedication to James. His songs "Done Somebody Wrong" and "One Way Out
One Way Out (song)
"One Way Out" is a blues song first recorded and released in the early-mid 1960s by Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, an R&B hit under a different name for G.L. Crockett in the mid-1960s, and then popularized to rock audiences in the early 1970s and onward by The Allman Brothers Band.-Song...

" were often covered by The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...

, who cited him as a major influence. James was also covered by blues-rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...

 many times in concert. The most famous of these covers is one that came by an indirect route - James' fellow bluesman Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...

 recorded a cover of "The Sky Is Crying", and Stevie Ray Vaughan copied King's version of the song. That song was also covered by George Thorogood
George Thorogood
George Thorogood is an American blues rock vocalist/guitarist from Wilmington, Delaware, United States, known for his hit song "Bad to the Bone" as well as for covers of blues standards such as Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" and John Lee Hooker's "House Rent Boogie/One Bourbon, One Scotch, One...

 on his second album, Move It On Over and by Eric Clapton on his album There's One in Every Crowd
There's One in Every Crowd
There's One in Every Crowd is a 1975 album by blues rocker Eric Clapton. Recorded shortly after 461 Ocean Boulevard, the album features a style very similar to its predecessor, but did not enjoy similar commercial success....

.

The most famous guitarist who admired Elmore James was Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

. Early in his career Jimi styled himself variously as 'Maurice James' and subsequently as 'Jimmy James.' This, according to former bandmate and recording partner Lonnie Youngblood, was a tribute to Elmore James. There is a photo of Hendrix (that can be seen in the sleeve of his :blues album) in London wearing his iconic military jacket and holding Elmore James's UK LP The Best Of Elmore James. (Hendrix was frequently photographed throughout his performing career holding LP covers of musicians that influenced him.) He performed James' "Bleeding Heart" during the Experience's Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....

 concert in 1969, and also with the Band of Gypsys
Band of Gypsys
Band of Gypsys was a blues rock band led by Jimi Hendrix and backed by Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. Hendrix formed the band after the dissolution of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Band of Gypsys is also the band's eponymous live album recorded on two separate nights, 31 December 1969 and 1 January...

 at their New Year's concerts at the Fillmore East in 1969/70 as well as recording two different versions of it in the studio. Buddy Miles
Buddy Miles
George Allen Miles, Jr. , known as Buddy Miles, was an American rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970.-Early life:George Allen Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska on...

 also sang lyrics along with Jimi playing some motifs from James' "The Sky Is Crying" during his famous jam session the Newport Pop Festival on June 22, 1969 (the video is now available in collector's circles) as well as quoting several lyrics and motifs from Elmore's catalogue throughout his career.

James is mentioned in The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

' song "For You Blue
For You Blue
"For You Blue" is a Beatles song written by George Harrison. It was the B-side to "The Long and Winding Road" and the eleventh track on the Beatles' final LP release, Let It Be...

": while John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...

 plays the slide guitar (James' trademark), George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...

 says, "Elmore James got nothin' on this, baby." Other artists influenced by Elmore James include Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...

  and Jeffrey Evans of the band 68 Comeback.

The Grateful Dead, John Primer
John Primer
John Primer is an American Chicago blues and electric blues singer and guitarist.-Biography:He played guitar at Theresa's, a club in Chicago, between 1974 and 1980. He was influenced by Muddy Waters' former sideman, Sammy Lawhorn, who taught him to play slide guitar...

 (Blue Steel CD), Billy Gibbons
Billy Gibbons
William Frederick "Billy" Gibbons is an American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959...

 and Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...

 are other notable artists to have recorded Elmore James covers. Clapton also recorded a song with Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...

 called "Tribute to Elmore" that first appeared on the 1968 compilation album Blues Anytime Vol. 1.
On the 1974 record Second Album, Roy Buchanan
Roy Buchanan
Roy Buchanan was an American guitarist and blues musician. A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, Buchanan was a sideman and solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career, and two later solo albums that made it on to the Billboard chart. Despite never having achieved stardom, he is still...

 included an instrumental song he wrote titled "Tribute to Elmore James," which begins with James' classic slide guitar riff, and uses his soloing style throughout.

James's older cousin "Homesick" James Williamson
Homesick James
Homesick James was an American blues musician. He most notably played slide guitar, and recorded covers of "Stones In My Passway" and "Homesick"...

, a regular companion from an early age, played with James in the Broomdusters from 1957 on. He was also a successful blues man who played electric slide guitar in James's style. He continued to record and tour until his death in 2006.

James's music & style still today has immense influence upon today's modern blues icons, including the young Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers and The Derek Trucks Band, who has attributed James as his most predominant influence, and inspiration.

Singles

Elmore recorded in an era when few blues artists recorded albums. The only LP released (after he had left their management) in his lifetime (in 1961) was a budget compilation of old singles recorded by the Bihari Brothers (in common with Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King) - Blues After Hours (Crown 5168) this was re-released several times after his death.
  • 1951 "Dust My Broom" b/w "Catfish Blues" [by Bobo Thomas, no Elmore] (Trumpet 146 [78])
  • 1952 "I Believe" b/w "I Held My Baby Last Night" (Meteor 5000)
  • 1953 "Baby, What's Wrong" b/w "Sinful Women" (Meteor 5003)
  • 1953 "Early In The Morning" b/w "Hawaiian Boogie" (Flair 1011)
  • 1953 "Country Boogie" b/w "She Just Won't Do Right" (Checker 777)
  • 1953 "Can't Stop Lovin" b/w "Make A Little Love" (Flair 1014)
  • 1953 "Please Find My Baby" b/w "Strange Kinda' Feeling" (Flair 1022)
  • 1954 "Hand In Hand" b/w "Make My Dreams Come True" (Flair 1031)
  • 1954 "Sho Nuff I Do" b/w "1839 Blues" (Flair 1039)
  • 1954 "Dark And Dreary" b/w "Rock My Baby Right" (Flair 1048 [78])
  • 1954 "Sunny Land" b/w "Standing At The Crossroads" (Flair 1057)
  • 1955 "Late Hours At Midnight" b/w "The Way You Treat Me" (Flair 1062)
  • 1955 "Happy Home" b/w "No Love In My Heart" (Flair 1069)
  • 1955 "Dust My Blues" b/w "I Was A Fool" (Flair 1074)
  • 1955 "I Believe My Time Ain't Long" b/w "I Wish I Was A Catfish" (Ace 508 [re-release of Trumpet 146])
  • 1955 "Blues Before Sunrise" b/w "Good Bye" (Flair 1079)
  • 1956 "Wild About You" b/w "Long Tall Woman" (Modern 983)
  • 1957 "The 12 Year Old Boy" b/w "Coming Home" (Chief 7001 & Vee Jay 249)
  • 1957 "It Hurts Me Too" b/w "Elmore's Contribution To Jazz" (Chief 7004)
  • 1957 "Elmore's Contribution To Jazz" b/w "It Hurts Me Too" (Vee Jay 259)
  • 1957 "Cry For Me Baby" b/w "Take Me Where You Go" (Chief 7006 & Vee Jay 269)
  • 1959 "Make My Dreams Come True" [re-release of Flair 1031 'B'side] b/w "Bobby's Rock" (Fire 1011)
  • 1960 "Dust My Blues" [re-release of Flair 1074] b/w "Happy Home" [re-release of Flair 1069] (Kent 331)
  • 1960 "The Sky is Crying" b/w "Held My Baby Last Night" (Fire 1016)
  • 1960 "I Can't Hold Out" b/w "The Sun is Shining" (Chess 1756)
  • 1960 "Rollin' And Tumblin'" b/w "I'm Worried" (Fire 1024)
  • 1960 "Knocking At Your Door" b/w "Calling All Blues" [by Earl Hooker/Junior Wells] (Chief 7020)
  • 1960 "Done Somebody Wrong" b/w "Fine Little Mama" (Fire 1031)
  • 1961 "Look On Yonder Wall" b/w "Shake Your Moneymaker" (Fire 504)
  • 1962 "Stranger Blues" b/w "Anna Lee" (Fire 1503)
  • 1962/3? "The Sky is Crying b/w Held My Baby Last Night [re-release of Fire 1016] (Down Home 775/6)
  • 1964 "Dust My Blues" b/w "Happy Home" [re-release of Kent 331] (Kent 394)
  • 1964 "Dust My Blues" b/w "Happy Home" [re-release of Kent 394] (Sue 335)
  • 1965 "Bleeding Heart" b/w "It Hurts Me Too" (Enjoy 2015 [1st pressing])
  • 1965 "It Hurts Me Too" b/w "Pickin' The Blues" (Enjoy 2015 [2nd pressing])
  • 1965 "My Bleeding Heart" b/w "One Way Out" (Sphere Sound 702)
  • 1965 "It Hurts Me Too" b/w "Bleeding Heart" (Sue 383)
  • 1965 "Bleeding Heart" b/w "Mean Mistreatin' Mama" (Enjoy 2020)
  • 1965 "Knocking At Your Door" b/w "Calling All Blues" [re-release of Chief 7020] (Sue 392)
  • 1965 "Look On Yonder Wall" b/w "Shake Your Moneymaker" (Enjoy 2022)
  • 1965 "The Sky is Crying" [re-release] b/w "Standing At The Crossroads" [alt. take] (Flashback 15)
  • 1965 "Standing At The Crossroads" b/w "Sunnyland" [re-release of Flair 1057] (Kent 433)
  • 1965 "Everyday I Have The Blues" b/w "Dust My Broom" [# 4] (Enjoy 2027)
  • 1965 "Cry For Me Baby" b/w "Take Me Where You Go" [re-release of Chief 7006] (U.S.A. 815)
  • 1965/6? "Cry For Me Baby" b/w "Take Me Where You Go" [re-release of Chief 7006] (S&M 101)
  • 1966 "Shake Your Money Maker" b/w "I Need You" (Sphere Sound 708)

Original albums

  • 1961 Blues After Hours (Crown 5168)
  • 1965 The Best Of (Sue 918 [UK])
  • 1965 The Sky is Crying (Sphere Sound 7002)
  • 1965 Memorial Album (Sue 927 [UK])
  • 1966 The Blues In My Heart, The Rhythm In My Soul (re-release of Blues After Hours) (United 716) and (Custom 2054)
  • 1967 Original Folk Blues (Kent 5022)
  • 1967 I Need You (Sphere Sound 7008)
  • 1968 The Late Fantastically Great (another re-release of Blues After Hours)(Ember 3397 [UK])
  • 1968 Tough (Chess recordings + tracks by John Brim) (Blue Horizon 7-63204 [UK])
  • 1968 Something Inside of Me (Bell 104 [UK])
  • 1969 The Legend Of Elmore James (Kent 9001)
  • 1969 Elmore James (Bell 6037)
  • 1969 Whose Muddy Shoes (+ tracks by John Brim) (Chess 1537)
  • 1969 The Resurrection Of Elmore James (Kent 9010)
  • 1969 To Know A Man double album
    Double album
    A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....

     (Blue Horizon 7-66230 [UK])

Compilation albums

  • Charly Blues Masterworks Volume 28: Standing at the Crossroad (1993)
  • The Sky Is Crying: The History Of Elmore James (1993)
  • Rollin' And Tumblin (1999)
  • Legends Of Blues, Pickin' The Blues ; The Greatest Hits (2002)
  • King of the Slide Guitar: The Complete Trumpet, Chief and Fire Sessions (2005)
  • A Proper Records Introduction to Elmore James: Slide Guitar Master (2006)
  • The Final Sessions: New York - February 1963 (2006)

External links

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