List of boogie woogie musicians
Encyclopedia
Among the many boogie-woogie
musicians are not only blues
players, but rock and roll
, and country music
ians as well, and at least one classical musician.
Musicians noted for playing boogie-woogie (many of whom also perform in other styles):
for more information.
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
musicians are not only 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...
players, but rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
ians as well, and at least one classical musician.
Musicians noted for playing boogie-woogie (many of whom also perform in other styles):
A
- Albert AmmonsAlbert AmmonsAlbert Ammons was an American pianist. Ammons was a player of boogie-woogie, a bluesy jazz style popular from the late 1930s into the mid 1940s.-Life and career:...
, (1907–1949) father of bebopBebopBebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
tenormanSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, Gene AmmonsGene AmmonsEugene "Jug" Ammons also known as "The Boss," was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, and the son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons.-Biography:... - Andrews Sisters, known for "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the BarBeat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar"Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" is a song written in 1940 by Don Raye, with credit given to Ray McKinley. It follows the American boogie-woogie tradition of syncopated piano music. The song was first recorded in 1940 by the Will Bradley orchestra, with Freddie Slack on piano...
" and "Boogie-woogie Bugle Boy" - Winifred AtwellWinifred AtwellUna Winifred Atwell Una Winifred Atwell Una Winifred Atwell (27 February or April 1910 or 1914There is some uncertainty over her date and year of birth. Many sources suggest 27 February 1914, but there is a strong suggestion that her birthday was 27 April. Most sources give her year of birth as...
(1914–1983) British pianist, from Trinidad
B
- Bob BaldoriBob BaldoriBob Baldori , also known as "Boogie Bob", is an American rock, blues, and boogie musician and attorney.Baldori founded the rock band The Woolies in 1964; the group had a national hit in 1966 with Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love". He has also pursued a solo career, performing in venues all over the...
(born 1943), also known as "Boogie Bob", is an American rockRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, bluesBluesBlues 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...
, and boogie-woogie musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and attorneyLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. - Marcia BallMarcia BallMarcia Ball is an American blues singer and pianist, born in Orange, Texas but who grew up in Vinton, Louisiana. She was described in USA Today as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist.....
, (born 1949) - Deanna BogartDeanna BogartDeanna Bogart is an American blues singer, pianist, and saxophone player.She began her career in the Maryland-area with the ensemble Cowboy Jazz, and following that band's breakup in 1986, a stint playing with Root Boy Slim...
, (born 1960), boogie, blues, country, pop; keyboard & saxophone player - James BookerJames BookerJames Carroll Booker III was a jazz, New Orleans rhythm and blues and soul musician born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Biography:...
, (1939–1983) - Eden BrentEden BrentEden Brent is an award-winning American musician on the independent Yellow Dog Records label. A blues pianist and vocalist, she combines boogie-woogie with elements of blues, jazz, soul, gospel and pop...
C
- Commander Cody and His Lost Planet AirmenCommander Cody and His Lost Planet AirmenCommander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is an American country rock band founded in 1967. Core members included founder George Frayne, John Tichy, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen, Andy Stein, Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow, Lance Dickerson, and Bobby Black....
, known for "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the BarBeat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar"Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" is a song written in 1940 by Don Raye, with credit given to Ray McKinley. It follows the American boogie-woogie tradition of syncopated piano music. The song was first recorded in 1940 by the Will Bradley orchestra, with Freddie Slack on piano...
" - Cripple Clarence LoftonCripple Clarence LoftonCripple Clarence Lofton , born Albert Clemens in Kingsport, Tennessee, was a noted boogie-woogie pianist and singer....
D
- Caroline DahlCaroline DahlCaroline Dahl is a pianist and composer of boogie-woogie and American Roots music.She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, where she played with the Metropolitan Blues All Stars. She has lived in San Francisco for over 30 years, where she performs solo around the Bay area and with Tom Rigney &...
, pianist and composer of boogie-woogie and American roots music. - Cow Cow DavenportCow Cow DavenportCharles Edward "Cow Cow" Davenport was an American boogie woogie piano player. He also played the organ and sang.-Career:...
(1894–1945) - Blind John DavisBlind John DavisBlind John Davis was an African American, blues, jazz and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. He is best remembered for his recordings including "A Little Every Day" and "Everybody's Boogie".-Biography:...
(1913–1985) - Neville DickieNeville DickieNeville Dickie is an English boogie-woogie and stride piano player. He has performed all over Europe and North America.-Career:...
- Dorothy DoneganDorothy DoneganDorothy Donegan was an American classically trained jazz pianist primarily known for performing in the stride piano and boogie-woogie style. She also played bop, swing jazz, and classical music.-Life and career:...
(1922–1998) - Georgia Tom Dorsey (1899–1993)
- Dr. JohnDr. JohnMalcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
(born 1940), New Orleans blues and boogie woogie pianist and composer of "Boxcar Boogie" among others - Champion Jack DupreeChampion Jack DupreeWilliam Thomas Dupree, best known as Champion Jack Dupree, was an American blues pianist. His birth date is disputed, given as July 4, July 10, and July 23, in the years 1908, 1909, or 1910. He died on January 21, 1992.-Biography:...
(1908–1992), boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and New Orleans bluesNew Orleans bluesNew Orleans rhythm and blues refers to a type of R&B music from the U.S. city of New Orleans, Louisiana, characterized by extensive use of piano and horn sections, complex syncopated "second line" rhythms, and lyrics that reflect New Orleans life....
player - Big Joe DuskinBig Joe DuskinBig Joe Duskin was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist. He is best known for his debut album, Cincinnati Stomp , and the tracks "Well, Well Baby" and "I Met a Girl Named Martha".-Biography:...
(1921–2007)
E
- William EzellWilliam EzellWilliam Ezell was an American blues, jazz, ragtime and boogie-woogie pianist and occasional singer. He was also billed as Will Ezell, and was a regular participant in recordings made by Paramount Records in the late 1920s and early 1930s...
(1892–1963), Texas born pianist, who combined boogie-woogie with ragtimeRagtimeRagtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
and bluesBluesBlues 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...
. He was a regular studio pianist at Paramount RecordsParamount RecordsParamount Records was an American record label, best known for its recordings of African-American jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey and Blind Lemon Jefferson.-Early years:...
from 1927 to 1931.
F
- Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
, (born 1928), recorded some boogie pieces in the 1950s, e.g. "Hey La Bas", "Whole Lotta Loving", "Fats' Frenzy" - Wayne FedermanWayne FedermanWayne Federman is an American comedian, actor, author, and comedy writer. He is noted for his numerous stand-up comedy appearances in clubs, theaters, and on television; his biography of "Pistol" Pete Maravich; and his supporting comedic acting roles in The X-Files, The Larry Sanders Show, Curb...
(born 1959), originated "Liver Lips Boogie" - Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
with The Ink SpotsThe Ink SpotsThe Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
covered "Cow Cow Boogie". - Frankie FordFrankie FordFrankie Ford is an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer.He is the adopted son of Vincent and Anna Guzzo, who named him Francis Guzzo. He was born in Gretna, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, where he still lives...
(born 1939), who performed "Sea CruiseSea Cruise-Covers:The song was initially covered by Frankie Ford in 1959, with a top-20 hit, using Smith's original backing track.It was later also covered by:* Herman Hermits covered the song in 1965 on the album Introducing Herman's Hermits....
" with Huey "Piano" Smith accompanying on the piano - Floyd DominoFloyd DominoFloyd Domino is an American musician known for his work in the genre of Western Swing.Born a native of California, Domino was introduced to Western Swing by way of the musicians who had migrated from Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930s and 1940s....
- Ernie FreemanErnie FreemanErnie Freeman was an American pianist, organist and arranger.In 1935 he began playing in local Cleveland area nightclubs, and also formed a classical music trio for local social functions with his father and his sister Evelyn...
(1922 - 1981)
G
- Harry GibsonHarry GibsonHarry "The Hipster" Gibson was a jazz pianist, singer and songwriter.Gibson played New York style Stride piano and boogie woogie while singing in a wild, unrestrained style. His music career began in the late 1920s, when as the young Harry Raab, his birth name, he played stride piano in Dixieland...
"The Hipster" (1915–1991) - Henry GrayHenry GrayHenry Gray was an English anatomist and surgeon most notable for publishing the book Gray's Anatomy. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society at the age of 25.-Biography:...
, (born 1925, Kenner, Louisiana) credited with helping to create the Chicago blues piano sound
H
- Willie Hall, known as Drive'em Down, model and mentor to many New Orleans players
- Jools HollandJools HollandJulian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
, (born 1958) British musician and television presenter - Camille HowardCamille HowardCamille Howard was an American R&B pianist and singer.Howard was born in Galveston, Texas. When in California in the 1940s, she became the featured piano player with Roy Milton’s Solid Senders, playing on all their early hits on Juke Box and then Specialty labels, including "R. M...
, American pianist and singer - Bob Hall
J
- Pete JohnsonPete JohnsonPete Johnson was an American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist.Journalist Tony Russell stated in his book The Blues - From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray, that "Johnson shared with the other members of the 'Boogie Woogie Trio' the technical virtuosity and melodic fertility that can make this the most...
, (1904–1967) Big Joe Turner's piano partner; "Roll 'Em PeteRoll 'Em Pete"Roll 'Em Pete" is a rhythm and blues song originally recorded in 1938 by Big Joe Turner and pianist Pete Johnson. The recording is regarded as one of the most important precursors of what later became known as "rock and roll".-Original recording:...
" was named for him.
K
- Michael KaeshammerMichael KaeshammerMichael Kaeshammer is a Canadian boogie-woogie pianist, vocalist, composer, and arranger.After studying classical piano for seven years in his German homeland, a 13-year-old Kaeshammer discovered boogie-woogie and stride piano as played by Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, Pinetop...
, (born 1977 or 1978), a Canadian pianist, vocalist, and arranger. - Joe KrownJoe KrownJoe Krown is an American keyboardist, based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is known for his long tenure with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's band. As a solo artist, he has been playing in several different styles. When he plays the piano, he typically plays in the traditional New Orleans style...
, a blues/R&B pianist/organist based in New Orleans.
L
- Booker T. LauryBooker T. LauryBooker T. Laury was an American boogie-woogie, blues, gospel and jazz pianist and singer. Over his lengthy career, Laury worked with various musicians including Memphis Slim and Mose Vinson...
- Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, (born 1935) - Meade Lux LewisMeade Lux LewisMeade Lux Lewis was a American pianist and composer, noted for his work in the boogie-woogie style. His best known work, "Honky Tonk Train Blues", has been recorded in various contexts, often in a big band arrangement...
, (1905–1964) his "Honky Tonk Train Blues" was an early 1930 hit in the style - LiberaceLiberaceWladziu Valentino Liberace , best known simply as Liberace, was a famous American pianist and vocalist.In a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, Liberace became world-renowned...
, (1919–1987) - Little RichardLittle RichardRichard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, (born 1932) - Little Willie LittlefieldLittle Willie LittlefieldLittle Willie Littlefield is an American R&B pianist and singer.-Career:By 1947, at the age of sixteen, Littlefield was already a local attraction on many of Houston's Dowling Street Clubs and was recording for local record shop proprietor Eddie Henry who ran his own label "Eddies".Influenced by...
(born 1931)
M
- Memphis SlimMemphis SlimMemphis Slim was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other...
(1915–1988) - Big Maceo MerriweatherBig Maceo MerriweatherBig Maceo Merriweather was an American Chicago blues pianist and singer, active in Chicago in the 1940s.-Career:...
(1905–1953), composer of "Chicago Breakdown"
P
- Bill PayneBill PayneBill Payne is a founding member of American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other piano rock musicians, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano rock and blues music artists...
, piano player for Little FeatLittle FeatLittle Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles.... - Oscar PetersonOscar PetersonOscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, (1925–2007), modern jazz player, performed duo piano version of "Honky Tonk Train Blues" with Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
. - Piano RedPiano RedWilliam "Willie" Lee Perryman , usually known professionally as Piano Red and later in life as Dr. Feelgood, was an American blues musician, the first to hit the pop music charts. He was a self-taught pianist who played in the barrelhouse blues style...
(1911–1985), brother of Speckled RedSpeckled RedSpeckled Red was born Rufus Perryman in Monroe, Louisiana. He was an American blues and boogie-woogie piano player and singer, most noted for his recordings of "The Dirty Dozens", with exchanges of insults and vulgar remarks that have long been a part of African American folklore.The family moved... - Pinetop PerkinsPinetop PerkinsJoseph William Perkins , known by the stage name Pinetop Perkins, was an American blues musician, specializing in piano music...
(1913-2011), Ike TurnerIke TurnerIsaac 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...
's teacher - Ross PetotRoss PetotRoss Petot is an American ragtime, jazz and stride pianist and composer. He is considered the predominant stride piano player in all of New England....
- Sammy PriceSammy PriceSammy Price was an American jazz, boogie-woogie and jump blues pianist and bandleader. He was born Samuel Blythe Price, in Honey Grove, Texas, United States. Price was most noteworthy for his work on Decca Records with his own band, known as the Texas Bluesicians, that included fellow musicians...
(1908–1992) - Professor LonghairProfessor LonghairProfessor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist...
, (Henry "Roy" Byrd, 1918–1980), "Tipitina", "Mardi Gras in New OrleansNew Orleans Mardi GrasMardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a Carnival celebration well-known throughout the world.The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Christian season of Lent, starts after Twelfth Night, on Epiphany . It is a season of parades, balls , and king cake parties...
"
R
- Boogie Woogie RedBoogie Woogie RedBoogie Woogie Red was an American Detroit blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist, singer and songwriter. He variously worked with Sonny Boy Williamson, Washboard Willie, Baby Boy Warren, Lonnie Johnson, Tampa Red, John Lee Hooker and Memphis Slim.-Biography:He was born Vernon Harrison in Rayville,...
- (1925–1985) Born in Rayville, LouisianaRayville, LouisianaRayville is a town in, the parish seat of, and the largest community in Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,234 at the 2000 census. It is also home of Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center...
as Vernon Harrison, Red was a boogie-woogie and piano bluesPiano bluesPiano blues refers to a variety of blues styles, sharing only the characteristic that they use the piano as the primary musical instrument. Boogie woogie is the best known kind of piano blues, though barrelhouse, swing, R&B, rock and roll and jazz are strongly influenced by early pianists who...
pianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
on the Detroit bluesDetroit bluesDetroit blues is blues music played by musicians resident in Detroit, Michigan, particularly that played in the 1940s and 1950s. Detroit blues originated when Delta blues performers migrated north from the Mississippi Delta and Memphis, Tennessee to work in Detroit's industrial plants in the 1920s...
scene who recorded two albums for Blind Pig RecordsBlind Pig RecordsBlind Pig Records is an American blues record label.Blind Pig was formed in 1977 in Ann Arbor, Michigan by Jerry Del Giudice, owner of the Blind Pig Cafe, and his friend Edward Chmelewski. The label is now based in San Francisco...
. He also recorded and performed frequently with John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
. - Walter RolandWalter RolandWalter Roland was an American blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist, guitarist and singer, noted for his association with Lucille Bogan, Josh White and Sonny Scott. Music journalist, Gérard Herzhaft, stated that Roland was "a great piano player.....
- Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
S
- Keito Saito, (born 1978), Japanese pianist, piano duo "Les Frères"
- Ulf SandströmUlf Sandström (pianist)Ulf Gustaf Sandström is the foremost representative in Sweden of piano playing and composing in the traditions of boogie-woogie, with a lot of New Orleans flavour. He was born in Colombia to Swedish parents, and has subsequently traveled and lived in a large number of countries...
(born 1964), Swedish pianist and member of jump4joy - Bob SeeleyBob SeeleyBob Seeley is an American boogie woogie pianist.-Biography:Seeley has played piano at Charlie's Crab in Troy, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, for over three decades. He has played Carnegie Hall several times, and major venues throughout Europe...
(born c. 1930) - Omar Shariff (born 1938)
- Robert ShawRobert Shaw (blues musician)Robert Shaw was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist, best known for his 1963 album, The Ma Grinder.-Biography:Shaw was born in Stafford, Texas, the son of farm owners Jesse and Hettie Shaw...
(1908–1985), barrelhouse pianist, recorded "The Ma Grinder" - Freddie SlackFreddie SlackFrederick Charles Slack was an American swing and boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader.He played with the Jimmy Dorsey Band in the 1930s and was a charter member of the Will Bradley Orchestra when it formed in 1939...
(1910–1965) did the original version of "Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar" in 1940s - Huey "Piano" Smith (born 1934), "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", also accompanist on Frankie FordFrankie FordFrankie Ford is an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer.He is the adopted son of Vincent and Anna Guzzo, who named him Francis Guzzo. He was born in Gretna, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, where he still lives...
's "Sea CruiseSea Cruise-Covers:The song was initially covered by Frankie Ford in 1959, with a top-20 hit, using Smith's original backing track.It was later also covered by:* Herman Hermits covered the song in 1965 on the album Introducing Herman's Hermits....
" - Clarence "Pine Top" SmithPinetop SmithClarence Smith, better known as Pinetop Smith or Pine Top Smith was an American boogie-woogie style blues pianist...
(1904–1929), "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" in 1929 was the first boogie-woogie hit and popularized the name for the style - Charlie SpandCharlie SpandCharlie Spand was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer, noted for his barrelhouse style. Spand was deemed one of the most influential piano players of the 1920s. Little is known of his life outside of music, and his total recordings comprise only thirty three...
(unknown) - Otis SpannOtis SpannOtis Spann was an American blues musician, who many consider the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist.-Career:Born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, Spann became known for his distinct piano style....
, (1930–1970), Delta blues and boogie player, toured solo and with Muddy WatersMuddy WatersMcKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
. - Speckled RedSpeckled RedSpeckled Red was born Rufus Perryman in Monroe, Louisiana. He was an American blues and boogie-woogie piano player and singer, most noted for his recordings of "The Dirty Dozens", with exchanges of insults and vulgar remarks that have long been a part of African American folklore.The family moved...
(1892–1973), recorded "The Dirty Dozens" - Roosevelt SykesRoosevelt SykesRoosevelt Sykes was an American blues musician, also known as "The Honeydripper". He was a successful and prolific cigar-chomping blues piano player, whose rollicking thundering boogie-woogie was highly influential.-Career:Born in Elmar, Arkansas, Sykes grew up near Helena but at age 15, went on...
(1906–1983)
T
- Gene TaylorGene Taylor (musician)Gene Taylor is an American blues rock and boogie-woogie pianist.-Biography:Taylor began his musical training as a drummer at age eight but two years later he had picked up both the guitar and his initial piano skills from boogie-woogie pianist-neighbours...
(born 1952) Boogie pianist who has played with Canned Heat, Blasters, Fried Bourbon etc. - Montana TaylorMontana TaylorArthur "Montana" Taylor was an American boogie-woogie pianist best known for his recordings in the 1940s and regarded as the leading exponent of the "barrelhouse" style of playing....
(1902–1974) - George W. ThomasGeorge W. ThomasGeorge Washington Thomas Jr. was a United States blues and jazz pianist and songwriter....
(1885-c.1930) - Hersal ThomasHersal ThomasHersal Thomas was an American blues pianist and composer. He recorded a number of sides for Okeh Records in 1925 and 1926....
(c.1909-1926) - Big Joe TurnerBig Joe TurnerBig Joe Turner was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Although he came to his greatest fame in the 1950s with his pioneering rock and roll recordings, particularly "Shake, Rattle and...
, (1911–1985), Boogie-woogie singer, partnered with Pete Johnson - Ike TurnerIke TurnerIsaac 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...
, (1931–2007), record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, piano player
W
- Tuts WashingtonTuts WashingtonIsidore "Tuts" Washington was an American Louisiana blues pianist, who exemplified the New Orleans rhythm and blues style, also made famous by musicians such as Professor Longhair....
(1907–1984), mentor to many generations of New Orleans pianists - Kenny "Blues Boss" WayneKenny "Blues Boss" WayneKenny "Blues Boss" Wayne is an American blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist, singer and songwriter...
(born 1944), American born, Canada resident pianist, who combines boogie-woogie with bluesBluesBlues 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...
and R&BRhythm and bluesRhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a... - Vince WeberVince WeberVince Weber is a German blues and boogie-woogie pianist.-Biography:Weber started his first piano lessons, when he was aged ten in 1963...
(born 1953), German Boogie / Blues musician - Robert WellsRobert Wells (composer)Robert Henry Arthur Wells is a Swedish pianist, composer and singer, best known for his highly successful musical extravaganza Rhapsody in Rock which has achieved great prominence in Scandinavia, a mixture of rock, Sunden, classical and boogie-woogie.-Early life and career :A child prodigy, Wells...
- Composed songs for the Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing, as well as being the only invited pianist from the Western World. He became famous in Sweden after he took part in "Så Ska Det Låta", and nowadays more famous for the concert tours with his self-composed songs. - Clarence Williams (1898–1965), mostly played in other styles but put some of the first examples of boogie-woogie on record
- Jabo WilliamsJabo WilliamsJabo Williams was an African American boogie-woogie and blues pianist and songwriter. His total recorded output was a mere eight sides, which included his two best-known "stunningly primitive" offerings, "Pratt City Blues" and Jab's Blues"...
- Mitch WoodsMitch WoodsMitch Woods is an American modern day boogie-woogie, jump blues and jazz pianist and singer. Since the early 1980s he has been touring and recording with his band, the Rocket 88s...
(born 1951), modern day boogie-woogie, jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and jump bluesJump bluesJump blues is an up-tempo blues usually played by small groups and featuring horns. It was very popular in the 1940s, and the movement was a precursor to the arrival of rhythm and blues and rock and roll...
pianist
Additional note
Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson sometimes played together by twos or threes, an unusual practice. See Boogie-woogieBoogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
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