Mighty Sam McClain
Encyclopedia
Mighty Sam McClain is an American
Grammy
nominated soul blues
singer and songwriter
.
, first as his valet and then as lead vocalist himself at 15.
While singing at the 506 Club in Pensacola, Florida
he was introduced to the record producer
and DJ, "Papa Don" Schroeder and in 1966, McClain recorded a cover version of Patsy Cline
's "Sweet Dreams". Several recording sessions at Muscle Shoals produced the further singles
, "Fannie-May" and "In the Same Old Way". For fifteen years, first in Nashville, Tennessee
, then in New Orleans, McClain worked at menial jobs. McClain toured and recorded in Japan in 1989. The end product, Live in Japan, featured Wayne Bennett
.
By the early 1990s, McClain relocated to New England
through his participation in the "Hubert Sumlin Blues Party" project. This led to Joe Harley and AudioQuest Music. The results were the successful releases,Give It Up To Love and Keep On Movin. After his move to New Hampshire
, then followed Sledgehammer Soul and Down Home Blues. In 1998 McClain had two releases, Journey and Joy & Pain on the CrossCut Records
label. Soul Survivor: The Best of Mighty Sam McClain was his farewell to AudioQuest in 1999. McClain signed on with the Telarc Blues in 1999, taking his longtime producer Joe Harley with him, and recorded the Blues Music Award nominated Blues for the Soul (2000) and Sweet Dreams (2001).
In 1996 McClain formed McClain Productions after successfully co-producing his album
s with Joe Harley. He also created his own record label, Mighty Music, which released One More Bridge To Cross in February 2003. Betcha Didn't Know was issued in July 2009 on Mighty Music. It was nominated by the Blues Association as 'Soul/Blues Album 2010'.
In 2008, McClain joined the 'Give US Your Poor' project, benefiting the homeless. He also co-wrote with the saxophonist Scott Shetler, "Show Me the Way". He continues to work with this project, performing at both the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
in New York City
, and at The Kennedy Center
in Washington, D.C.
and other venues, sharing the stage with Natalie Merchant
, and Mario Frangoulis
. In early 2009, McClain recorded an album of duets
with the Iranian folk
singer, Mahsa Vadhat. The resulting album, Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations
reached #6 in the European World Music Chart.
McClain and the guitarist for this project, Knut Reiersrud
, collaborated on One Drop is Plenty that was recorded in Norway in January 2011. Also, McClain sung the theme song for the film
, Time and Charges. "Find the Sun" was written by Thompson and Joe Deleault, and McClain appeared in a cameo role in the film singing the song. McClain has recorded another album, Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominated soul blues
Soul blues
Soul blues is a style of blues music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s that combines elements of soul music and urban contemporary music...
singer and 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...
.
Life and career
As a five year old, he began singing in his mother's Gospel Church. McClain left home when he was thirteen and followed local R&B guitarist, Little Melvin Underwood through the Chitlin' circuitChitlin' circuit
The "Chitlin' Circuit" was the collective name given to the string of performance venues throughout the eastern and southern United States that were safe and acceptable for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers to perform during the age of racial segregation in the United...
, first as his valet and then as lead vocalist himself at 15.
While singing at the 506 Club in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
he was introduced to the record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and DJ, "Papa Don" Schroeder and in 1966, McClain recorded a cover version of Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
's "Sweet Dreams". Several recording sessions at Muscle Shoals produced the further singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Fannie-May" and "In the Same Old Way". For fifteen years, first in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, then in New Orleans, McClain worked at menial jobs. McClain toured and recorded in Japan in 1989. The end product, Live in Japan, featured Wayne Bennett
Wayne Bennett (blues guitarist)
Wayne Bennett was an American blues guitarist.-Biography:He was born in Sulphur, Oklahoma, and died in New Orleans Louisiana. He worked with blues musicians such as Bobby Bland, Boxcar Willie, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker and Elmore James, as well as with jazz musicians, including Cannonball...
.
By the early 1990s, McClain relocated to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
through his participation in the "Hubert Sumlin Blues Party" project. This led to Joe Harley and AudioQuest Music. The results were the successful releases,Give It Up To Love and Keep On Movin. After his move to New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, then followed Sledgehammer Soul and Down Home Blues. In 1998 McClain had two releases, Journey and Joy & Pain on the CrossCut Records
CrossCut Records
CrossCut Records is a German record label that was created in 1981 specializing in blues and roots music.-Background:The CrossCut Mailorder service, a division of Bear Family Records, is one of the world's leading sources for blues and related music...
label. Soul Survivor: The Best of Mighty Sam McClain was his farewell to AudioQuest in 1999. McClain signed on with the Telarc Blues in 1999, taking his longtime producer Joe Harley with him, and recorded the Blues Music Award nominated Blues for the Soul (2000) and Sweet Dreams (2001).
In 1996 McClain formed McClain Productions after successfully co-producing his album
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...
s with Joe Harley. He also created his own record label, Mighty Music, which released One More Bridge To Cross in February 2003. Betcha Didn't Know was issued in July 2009 on Mighty Music. It was nominated by the Blues Association as 'Soul/Blues Album 2010'.
In 2008, McClain joined the 'Give US Your Poor' project, benefiting the homeless. He also co-wrote with the saxophonist Scott Shetler, "Show Me the Way". He continues to work with this project, performing at both the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and at The Kennedy Center
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and other venues, sharing the stage with Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant
Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
, and Mario Frangoulis
Mario Frangoulis
Mario Frangoulis is a Greek tenor and is best known for his song, "Vincerò, Perderò". He sings in Italian, Spanish, English, French, and Greek; he is fluent in all 5 languages.-Early life:...
. In early 2009, McClain recorded an album of duets
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with the Iranian folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer, Mahsa Vadhat. The resulting album, Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations
Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations
Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations is an album by Mahsa Vahdat and Mighty Sam McClain which was originally released in Europe by Kirkelig Kulturverksted in late 2009 and then on May 11, 2010 in North America by Valley Entertainment....
reached #6 in the European World Music Chart.
McClain and the guitarist for this project, Knut Reiersrud
Knut Reiersrud
Knut Reiersrud is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. He lives in Oslo...
, collaborated on One Drop is Plenty that was recorded in Norway in January 2011. Also, McClain sung the theme song for the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Time and Charges. "Find the Sun" was written by Thompson and Joe Deleault, and McClain appeared in a cameo role in the film singing the song. McClain has recorded another album, Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey).
Discography
| Title | Release | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Your Perfect Companion | 1986 | Orleans Records |
| Live in Japan | 1988 | Orleans Records |
| Give It Up To Love | 1992 | Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment that was formerly named AudioQuest Music.From the label’s website, “The blues label was founded in the late 1980s with the mission to create the highest standard audiophile recordings based on the technology available... |
| Keep On Movin | 1995 | Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment that was formerly named AudioQuest Music.From the label’s website, “The blues label was founded in the late 1980s with the mission to create the highest standard audiophile recordings based on the technology available... |
| Sledgehammer Soul and Down Home Blues | 1996 | Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment that was formerly named AudioQuest Music.From the label’s website, “The blues label was founded in the late 1980s with the mission to create the highest standard audiophile recordings based on the technology available... |
| Journey | 1998 | Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment that was formerly named AudioQuest Music.From the label’s website, “The blues label was founded in the late 1980s with the mission to create the highest standard audiophile recordings based on the technology available... |
| Joy & Pain | 1998 | Ruf |
| Soul Survivor: The Best of Mighty Sam McClain | 1999 | Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Blues is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment that was formerly named AudioQuest Music.From the label’s website, “The blues label was founded in the late 1980s with the mission to create the highest standard audiophile recordings based on the technology available... |
| Blues For The Soul | 2000 | Telarc Distribution |
| Sweet Dreams | 2001 | Telarc Distribution |
| One More Bridge To Cross | 2003 | Mighty Music |
| Betcha Didn't Know | 2009 | Mighty Music |
| Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations is an album by Mahsa Vahdat and Mighty Sam McClain which was originally released in Europe by Kirkelig Kulturverksted in late 2009 and then on May 11, 2010 in North America by Valley Entertainment.... |
2010 | Kirkelig Kulturverksted Kirkelig Kulturverksted Kirkelig Kulturverksted is a Norwegian company and record label, founded in 1974 by Erik Hillestad. Among the musicians who have issued records on the label are Ketil Bjørnstad, Kari Bremnes, Erik Bye, Ole Paus, Sigvart Dagsland, Bjørn Eidsvåg, Knut Reiersrud, Deeyah and SKRUK.... /Valley Entertainment Valley Entertainment Valley Entertainment is a United States music distributor and independent record label based in New York City. The company was founded in 1996 by Barney Cohen, president and CEO. In 2001, they acquired the prestigious back catalogue of space, ambient, and New Age music from Hearts of Space Records... |
| One Drop Is Plenty with Knut Reiersrud Knut Reiersrud Knut Reiersrud is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. He lives in Oslo... |
2011 | Kirkelig Kulturverksted Kirkelig Kulturverksted Kirkelig Kulturverksted is a Norwegian company and record label, founded in 1974 by Erik Hillestad. Among the musicians who have issued records on the label are Ketil Bjørnstad, Kari Bremnes, Erik Bye, Ole Paus, Sigvart Dagsland, Bjørn Eidsvåg, Knut Reiersrud, Deeyah and SKRUK.... /Valley Entertainment Valley Entertainment Valley Entertainment is a United States music distributor and independent record label based in New York City. The company was founded in 1996 by Barney Cohen, president and CEO. In 2001, they acquired the prestigious back catalogue of space, ambient, and New Age music from Hearts of Space Records... |