Junior Wells
Encyclopedia
Junior Wells born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., was an American
Chicago blues
vocalist, harmonica player, and recording artist. Wells, who was best known for his performances and recordings with Muddy Waters
, Earl Hooker
, and Buddy Guy
, also performed with Bonnie Raitt
, The Rolling Stones
, and Van Morrison
.
, United States
, and raised in West Memphis, Arkansas
, though other sources report that his birth was in West Memphis. Initially taught by his cousin, Junior Parker
, and Sonny Boy Williamson II
, Wells learned how to play the harmonica by the age of seven with surprising skill. He moved to Chicago in 1948 with his mother after her divorce and began sitting in with local musicians at house parties and taverns. Wild and rebellious but needing an outlet for his talents, he began performing with The Aces (guitarist brothers Dave and Louis Myers and drummer Fred Below) and developed a more modern amplified harmonica style influenced by Little Walter
. In 1952, he made his first recordings, when he replaced Little Walter in Muddy Waters' band and appeared on one of Waters' sessions for Chess Records
in 1952. His first recordings as a band leader were made in the following year for States Records
. In the later 1950s and early 1960s he also recorded singles for Chief Records
and its Profile Records subsidiary, including "Messin' with the Kid
", "Come on in This House", and "It Hurts Me Too
", which would remain in his repertoire throughout his career. His 1960 Profile single "Little by Little" (written by Chief owner and producer Mel London
) reached #23 in the Billboard R&B chart, making it the first of two Wells' singles to enter the chart.
Junior Wells worked with guitarist Buddy Guy
in the 1960s, and featured Guy on guitar when he recorded his first album, Hoodoo Man Blues
for Delmark Records
. Wells and Guy supported the Rolling Stones on numerous occasions in the 1970s. Although his albums South Side Blues Jam (1971) and On Tap (1975) proved he had not lost his aptitude for Chicago blues
, his 1980s and 1990s discs
were inconsistent. However, 1996's Come On in This House was an intriguing set of classic blues songs with a rotating cast of slide guitarists, among them Alvin Youngblood Hart
, Corey Harris
, Sonny Landreth
and Derek Trucks
. Wells made an appearance in the film Blues Brothers 2000
, the sequel to The Blues Brothers
, which was released in 1998.
Wells continued performing until he was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 1997. That fall, he suffered a heart attack
while undergoing treatment, sending him into a coma. Wells died in Chicago, after succumbing to lymphoma
on January 15, 1998, and was interred in the Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Chicago blues
Chicago blues
The Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic acoustic guitar and harmonica-based Delta blues, making the harmonica louder with a microphone and an instrument amplifier, and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums,...
vocalist, harmonica player, and recording artist. Wells, who was best known for his performances and recordings with Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
, Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker was an American Chicago blues guitarist, perhaps best known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", Hooker performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker as well as fronting his own bands...
, and Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, also performed with Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, 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...
, and Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
.
Life and career
Junior Wells was born in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and raised in West Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 27,666 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 28,181 in 2005, and 31,329 in 2011 ranking it as the state's 11th largest city, behind Hot Springs...
, though other sources report that his birth was in West Memphis. Initially taught by his cousin, Junior Parker
Junior Parker
Junior Parker was an American Memphis blues singer and musician. He is best remembered for his unique voice which has been described as "honeyed," and "velvet-smooth"...
, and Sonny Boy Williamson II
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...
, Wells learned how to play the harmonica by the age of seven with surprising skill. He moved to Chicago in 1948 with his mother after her divorce and began sitting in with local musicians at house parties and taverns. Wild and rebellious but needing an outlet for his talents, he began performing with The Aces (guitarist brothers Dave and Louis Myers and drummer Fred Below) and developed a more modern amplified harmonica style influenced by Little Walter
Little Walter
Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs , was an American blues harmonica player, whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix, for innovation and impact on succeeding generations...
. In 1952, he made his first recordings, when he replaced Little Walter in Muddy Waters' band and appeared on one of Waters' sessions 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....
in 1952. His first recordings as a band leader were made in the following year for States Records
States Records
States Record Company was a Chicago-based record label. A subsidiary of United Records, it was in business from May 1952 to December 1957. States focused on rhythm and blues, jazz, and gospel....
. In the later 1950s and early 1960s he also recorded singles for 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...
and its Profile Records subsidiary, including "Messin' with the Kid
Messin' With The Kid
"Messin' with the Kid" is a rhythm and blues-style blues song originally recorded by Junior Wells in 1960. It is credited to Chief Records owner/songwriter/producer Mel London. Considered a blues standard, it "remains Junior Well's best-known song"...
", "Come on in This House", and "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...
", which would remain in his repertoire throughout his career. His 1960 Profile single "Little by Little" (written by Chief owner and producer 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...
) reached #23 in the Billboard R&B chart, making it the first of two Wells' singles to enter the chart.
Junior Wells worked with guitarist Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
in the 1960s, and featured Guy on guitar when he recorded his first album, Hoodoo Man Blues
Hoodoo Man Blues
Hoodoo Man Blues is the 1965 debut album of blues vocalist and harmonica player Junior Wells, performing with the Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band, an early collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist Buddy Guy...
for Delmark Records
Delmark Records
Delmark Records is an independent American jazz and blues record label, based in Chicago since 1958. The label originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953 when owner Bob Koester released a recording of the Windy City Six, a traditional jazz group, under the "Delmar" imprint.-History:Born in 1932 in...
. Wells and Guy supported the Rolling Stones on numerous occasions in the 1970s. Although his albums South Side Blues Jam (1971) and On Tap (1975) proved he had not lost his aptitude for Chicago blues
Chicago blues
The Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic acoustic guitar and harmonica-based Delta blues, making the harmonica louder with a microphone and an instrument amplifier, and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums,...
, his 1980s and 1990s discs
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
were inconsistent. However, 1996's Come On in This House was an intriguing set of classic blues songs with a rotating cast of slide guitarists, among them Alvin Youngblood Hart
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Alvin Youngblood Hart is a Grammy Award-winning American musician.-Career:Born in Oakland California, Hart had family connections with Carroll County, Mississippi, and spent time there in his childhood, hearing his relatives stories of Charlie Patton, "being around these people who were there when...
, Corey Harris
Corey Harris
Corey Harris is an American blues and reggae musician, currently residing in Virginia. Along with Keb' Mo' and Alvin Youngblood Hart, he raised the flag of acoustic guitar blues in the mid 1990s...
, Sonny Landreth
Sonny Landreth
Sonny Landreth is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, but soon after, his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, before settling in Lafayette, Louisiana...
and Derek Trucks
Derek Trucks
Derek Trucks is a Grammy Award-winning, American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He founded The Derek Trucks Band and worked as a session musician when he was still in his early teens. Throughout those teenage years, he toured with The Allman Brothers Band primarily as a slide...
. Wells made an appearance in the film Blues Brothers 2000
Blues Brothers 2000
Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 American musical comedy film that is a sequel to the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Directed by John Landis, the film featured Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman, with cameos by many musicians.-Plot:...
, the sequel to The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers (film)
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
, which was released in 1998.
Wells continued performing until he was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 1997. That fall, he suffered a 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...
while undergoing treatment, sending him into a coma. Wells died in Chicago, after succumbing to lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
on January 15, 1998, and was interred in the Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago.
Album discography
{† Albums that feature Buddy Guy)- Hoodoo Man BluesHoodoo Man BluesHoodoo Man Blues is the 1965 debut album of blues vocalist and harmonica player Junior Wells, performing with the Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band, an early collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist Buddy Guy...
† (1965) - It's My Life, Baby! † (1966)
- Chicago/The Blues/Today! vol. 1 † (1966)
- On Tap (1974)
- You're Tuff Enough (1968)
- Coming at You † (1968)
- Live at the Golden Bear (1969)
- Southside Blues Jam † (1969)
- Buddy and the Juniors † (1970)
- In My Younger Days (1972)
- Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Play the Blues † (1972)
- Live At Montreux † (1977)
- Blues Hit Big Town (1977)
- Pleading the Blues † (1979)
- Got To Use Your Head (1979)
- Drinkin' TNT 'n' Smokin' Dynamite † (1982)
- The Original Blues Brothers (1983)
- Messin’ With The Kid, Vol 1 (1986)
- Universal Rock (1986)
- Chiefly Wells (1986)
- Harp Attack! (1990)
- 1957-1966 (1991)
- Alone & Acoustic † (1991)
- Undisputed Godfather of the Blues (1993)
- Better Off with the Blues † (1993)
- Messin’ With The Kid 1957-63 (1995)
- Everybody's Getting' Some (1995)
- Come on in This House (1996)
- Live at Buddy Guy's Legends (1997)
- Keep On Steppin’: The Best Of… (1998)
- Best Of The Vanguard Years (1998)
- Masters (1998)
- Buddy Guy & Junior Wells † (1998)
- Last Time Around –- Live at Legends (1998)
- Junior Wells & Friends (1999)
- Every Day I Have The Blues (2000)
- Calling All Blues (2000)
- Buddy Guy & Junior Wells † (2001)
- Best Of.. (2001)
- Live at Theresa's 1975Live at Theresa's 1975Live at Theresa's 1975 is a live album released of material recorded by blues vocalist and harmonica player Junior Wells. This is the first live Wells album released by Delmark Records...
(2006)