Little Joe Blue
Encyclopedia
Little Joe Blue was an American
blues
singer, and guitarist
.
, Mississippi
, his music were heavily influenced by the work of Louis Jordan
, Joe Liggins
, and B. B. King
. He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival
in 1974, made later trips to Europe in 1982, and appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival
in 1986.
He did not turn to music as a profession until the late 1950s, when he was well into his 20s, forming his band the Midnighters in Detroit
, Michigan
at the end of the decade. By the early 1960s, Valery had moved to Reno where he began recording as an adjunct to his performances in local clubs, before moving on to Los Angeles
, California
. He recorded for various record labels, including Kent
and Chess'
Checker Records
division during the early to mid 1960s, and never entirely escaped the criticism that he was a B. B. King imitator, which dogged him right into the 1980s. The style that King popularized also happened to suit Valery, however, and he gained some credibility in 1966 when he racked up a modest hit
in 1966 with the song "Dirty Work Is Going On," which has since become a blues standard
. He had extended stints with Jewel Records
and Chess from the late 1960s into the early 1970s, and recorded until the end of the 1980s.
There is a CD
of his work in print, the Evejim Records Little Joe Blue's Greatest Hits, a reissue of two LPs
, I'm Doing Alright and Dirty Work Going On, that he cut in the 1980s. His "Standing on the Threshold," featuring a powerful vocal performance and some beautifully soaring horns behind some lean, mean guitar and piano, also appears on Jewel Spotlights the Blues, Vol. 1.
On Little Joe Blue's Greatest Hits, the song
s include a new version of his most famous song, "Dirty Work Going On", "Encourage Me Baby", "Don't Start Me To Talking" and Little Milton
's "How Could You Do It to Me".
He died in Reno
, Nevada
in 1990 at the age of 55 from stomach cancer
.
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...
singer, and 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...
.
Career
Born Joseph Valery, Jr. in VicksburgVicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
, 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...
, his music were heavily influenced by the work of Louis Jordan
Louis Jordan
Louis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
, Joe Liggins
Joe Liggins
Joe Liggins was an American R&B, jazz and blues pianist, who was the frontman in the 1940s and 1950s with the band, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers....
, and 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...
. He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival
San Francisco Blues Festival
Debuting in 1973, the San Francisco Blues Festival is the longest running blues festival in the United States. Tom Mazzolini, the event's producer, founded the blues festival to educate the public about the history and evolution of the blues...
in 1974, made later trips to Europe in 1982, and appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival
Chicago Blues Festival
The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event held in June that features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming. It is hosted by the City of Chicago Mayor's Office of Special Events, and always occurs in early June...
in 1986.
He did not turn to music as a profession until the late 1950s, when he was well into his 20s, forming his band the Midnighters in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
at the end of the decade. By the early 1960s, Valery had moved to Reno where he began recording as an adjunct to his performances in local clubs, before moving on to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He recorded for various record labels, including Kent
Kent Records
Kent Records was a Los Angeles based record label, launched in the 1960s by the Bihari brothers. It was a follow up to the bankrupted Modern Records and reissued Modern's records. It was later bought by Ace Records, England, which used the label name to release Northern Soul records.The label...
and Chess'
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....
Checker Records
Checker Records
Checker Records is an inactive record label that was started in 1952 as a subsidiary to Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. The label was founded by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, who ran the label until they sold it to General Recorded Tape in 1969, shortly before Leonard's death.The label...
division during the early to mid 1960s, and never entirely escaped the criticism that he was a B. B. King imitator, which dogged him right into the 1980s. The style that King popularized also happened to suit Valery, however, and he gained some credibility in 1966 when he racked up a modest hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 1966 with the song "Dirty Work Is Going On," which has since become a 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...
. He had extended stints with Jewel Records
Jewel Records
Jewel Records was a record label which discs were pressed by the Scranton Button Company. Jewel is one of the big three record companies out of Cincinnati, Ohio. The two most famous, King Records and Fraternity Records, were responsible for several hits over the years from a wide range of genres...
and Chess from the late 1960s into the early 1970s, and recorded until the end of the 1980s.
There is a CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
of his work in print, the Evejim Records Little Joe Blue's Greatest Hits, a reissue of two LPs
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, I'm Doing Alright and Dirty Work Going On, that he cut in the 1980s. His "Standing on the Threshold," featuring a powerful vocal performance and some beautifully soaring horns behind some lean, mean guitar and piano, also appears on Jewel Spotlights the Blues, Vol. 1.
On Little Joe Blue's Greatest Hits, the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s include a new version of his most famous song, "Dirty Work Going On", "Encourage Me Baby", "Don't Start Me To Talking" and Little Milton
Little Milton
James Milton Campbell, Jr. , better known as Little Milton, was an American electric blues, rhythm and blues, and soul singer and guitarist, best known for his hit records "Grits Ain't Groceries" and "We're Gonna Make It."-Biography:Milton was born James Milton Campbell, Jr., in the Mississippi...
's "How Could You Do It to Me".
He died in Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in 1990 at the age of 55 from stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
.
Selected discography
| Year | Title | Genre | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Very Best of Little Joe Blue | Blues | Collectables |
| 1996 | Little Joe Blue's Greatest Hits | Blues | Evejim Records |