Ray Charles
Born: September 23, 1930, Albany, Georgia

Ray Charles is known for his innovative blend of genres "” his enormously popular body of work reflects inspiration from gospel, blues, jazz, pop, R&B, soul and country. As a vocalist he was originally inspired by Nat King Cole, and his early recordings reflect this smooth influence. Charles later came into his own with 1954's "I've Got a Woman," which marked a dramatic change in his style "” it reflected a heavy gospel influence integrated with pop and his vocals were suddenly uninhibited and raw. This trend in Charles's music would continue, culminating in his 1959 signature hit and timeless classic "What'd I Say." His ability to bring together many influences, infusing them all with a gospel core, has had a huge impact on both soul and rock and roll music, influencing Steve Winwood, Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder, and others. Charles is often referred to as the Father of Soul. He is a legendary musical figure.

Essential listening: "Losing Hand," "I've Got a Woman," "Unchain My Heart', "What'd I Say," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hit the Road Jack"

http://www.raycharles.com/

Howlin' Wolf
Born: June 10, 1910, West Point, Mississippi
Died: January 10, 1976, Hines, Illinois
Also known as: Chester Arthur Burnett

Howlin' Wolf was inspired by the passionate showmanship of legends Charley Patton and Tommy Johnson, but he took it to the next level. More than just a great showman, "the howler" was an almost transcendent performer, losing himself in the power of the music and letting it flow uninhibitedly through his voice. Wolf could whip the crowd into a frenzy like no other performer, and his stature "” at more than 6 feet tall and 300 or so pounds "” matched his formidable musical presence. His voice was truly original, a nasty sounding, expressively gritty growl that conveyed the meaning of the lyrics "” many of them penned by legendary songwriter Willie Dixon "” and his interpretation helped many songs become classics. The allure of Wolf's music was further enhanced by the superb guitarists who played with him "” Willie Johnson in the early years and Hubert Sumlin in later years "” as well as his own skill with guitar and harmonica, the latter of which he learned to play from master Sonny Boy Williamson. Wolf was a hero of many equally gritty rock and rollers, including the Rolling Stones. Like many Mississippi bluesmen, Wolf saw his career take off in Chicago, where to this day he is an enduring and beloved part of the city's history.

Essential listening: "Smokestack Lightnin'," "Moanin' at Midnight," "Evil," "Killing Floor," "Shake for Me"

http://www.howlinwolf.com/

Charley Patton
Born: 1891, Edwards, Mississippi
Died: April 28, 1934, Indianola, Mississippi

Charley Patton is the uncontested father of the Delta blues. His ferocious, high energy performance brought the house down on a regular basis with a gritty, raw vocal style and an ability to act as a one-man percussion section with his guitar, creating an innovative flow of rhythm and counter-rhythm. His uninhibited performances onstage were reflected in his lifestyle "” he was a match for any one of his musical descendants as a hard drinker and womanizer. Patton's legacy has inspired, directly and indirectly, generations of both blues and rock and roll musicians. The guitar gymnastics of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan are echoes of Patton's performance style, and his use of rhythm and "popping" bass notes presaged funk by decades. Patton influenced and played with blues greats Son House and Willie Brown, and also influenced Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Johnny Shines, John Lee Hooker, and Pop Staples, among many others.

Essential listening: "Pony Blues," "High Water Everywhere," "Oh Death," "High Sheriff Blues"

http://www.cr.nps.gov/delta/blues/people/charley_patton.htm

Tom Jones
Born: June 6, 1940, Pontypridd, South Wales

Tom Jones is a stunning vocalist with a powerful, emotionally expressive baritone-tenor range matched by a legendarily charismatic stage presence that has often been compared to that of Elvis Presley "” Presley, in fact, regarded him as one of the world's finest vocalists. Jones's first hit, "It's Not Unusual," reached number one in the U.K. and placed in the U.S. top 10 in 1965. He followed that up with a steady string of hits throughout the sixties, and eventually landed his own TV series. Jones's prolific recording career has encompassed everything from gospel to rockabilly to funk to electronic and dance music "” in the late eighties he collaborated with techno group Art of Noise, and had a big hit with a tongue-in-cheek cover of Prince's, "Kiss," a recording that showcased Jones's enduring talent and appeal as well as his sense of humor. Other milestones include a superb recording collaboration with the Chieftains and an acclaimed performance at the legendary Glastonbury Festival, both in the early nineties. Jones remains an esteemed performer worldwide, and continues to tour and record; his latest release, Mr. Jones, is a collaboration with acclaimed hip hop artist Wyclef Jean.

Essential listening: "Tennessee Waltz," "Kiss," "Green, Green Grass of Home," "She's a Lady," "I Who Have Nothing"

http://www.tomjones.com/

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey
Born: April 26, 1886, Columbus, Georgia
Died: December 22, 1939, Columbus, Georgia
Also known as: Gertrude Pridgett

Ma Rainey is commonly known as the Mother of the Blues because of her significant influence on the many female blues singers who succeeded her. She began performing in minstrel and vaudeville shows around the age of 14, and is widely considered to be one of the first female singers to perform blues in that setting. She was an important link between the rough vocals of country blues, then a male-dominated genre which her vocal delivery resembled, and the more polished sound of classic urban blues, a female-dominated genre which she ultimately influenced. In 1904 Rainey married William (known as Pa) Rainey, and the two of them performed together calling themselves "Assasinators of the Blues." Legend has it that during their travels Ma Rainey met Bessie Smith, and became somewhat of a mentor to the young singer. In addition to Rainey's vocal prowess, she was also a talented songwriter. After more than two decades of performing, Rainey began to record in 1923, and she left behind a prolific legacy that includes many classics.

Essential listening: "C.C. Rider," "Bo Weavil Blues," "Jelly Bean Blues," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

http://www.redhotjazz.com/rainey.html

John Lee Hooker
Born: August 22, 1917, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Died: August 21, 2001, Los Altos, California

John Lee Hooker was a master of "boogie" with haunting, sensuously compelling signature vocals and the ability to create a whole world of sound from a single, repetitive chord. His unique, original style hugely influenced other blues artists and especially rock and roll. The Rolling Stones, the Animals, early Fleetwood Mac and Johnny Winter are just a few of Hooker's admirers. Early on he was influenced by gospel and Delta blues. He learned to play guitar from his stepfather, who reportedly knew blues legend Charley Patton. In 1943 he moved to Detroit, where his sound was a welcome and complete change from the slicker post-war blues. For the next four decades Hooker continued to work with his signature style, performing and recording, and his devotion to his craft never faded, even when his popularity did. The respect he'd long garnered from the blues and rock community was evident in his comeback 1989 release The Healer, which featured a roll call of prestigious names from both genres. As he aged he was known as a living blues legend, and he continued to perform, even when he had to be slowly escorted to the stage.

Essential listening: "Boogie Chillen," "I'm in the Mood," "Hoogie Boogie," "Boom Boom," "Baby Lee," "The Healer"

http://www.johnleehooker.com/home.htm
http://web.telia.com/~u19104970/johnnielee.html

Willie Dixon
Born: July 1, 1915, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Died: January 29, 1992, Burbank, California

Willie Dixon is best known for his songwriting prowess, although his influence on the blues includes his superb work as a producer, arranger, session musician and performer. Dixon began performing in Chicago in the late 1930s; his career was interrupted briefly in the early 1940s when he was jailed for refusing the draft as a conscientious objector. He later worked for the blues label Chess, where his songwriting gave a significant boost to the careers of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and others. Howlin' Wolf had such success with his rendition of Dixon's tunes that for years they were his primary recording and performance efforts. As a mentor to vocalist Koko Taylor, Dixon had her record "Wang Dang Doodle," which became a huge hit and is still her signature classic. Later in his life Dixon had to fight to reap the financial rewards of his art and subsequently worked on behalf of other artists to assist them in securing publishing royalties. He influenced not only his contemporaries, but countless blues and rock and roll artists, including Led Zeppelin, the Doors and Cream. His body of work as a songwriter boasts many blues standards and rock and roll classics.

Essential listening: "Back Door Man," "I Can't Quit You Baby," "The Seventh Son," "You Shook Me," "The Little Red Rooster"

http://www.bluesheaven.com/

(John Lee Hooker / Bernard Bessman)

I'm in the mood baby, I'm in the mood for love
I'm in the mood baby, I'm in the mood for love
I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, baby, I'm in the mood for love

I said night time is the right time, to be with the one you love
You know when night come baby, God know, you're so far away
I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood baby, I'm in the mood for love
I'm in the mood, in the mood, baby, in the mood for love

I said yes, my mama told me, to leave that girl alone
But my mama didn't know, God know, girl was puttin' down
I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood baby, in the mood for love
I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, baby, in the mood for love

Muddy Waters
Born: April 4, 1915, Rolling Forks, Mississippi
Died: April 30, 1983, Westmont, Illinois
Also known as: McKinley Morganfield

Muddy Waters grew up in the Mississippi Delta, singing as he worked in the cotton fields as a boy and playing near his favorite muddy creek "” thus the nickname. He picked up a guitar when he was 17. Influenced by the deeply emotional performer Son House as well as Robert Johnson, Waters became an accomplished bluesman himself. In the early 1940s he took the raw depth of the Delta blues to Chicago, and in a few years he had revolutionized the city's blues scene. His many contributions to Chicago blues include his skill with an electric guitar, his tough, powerful vocals, and his evocative, compelling songwriting. As a bandleader he established the ensemble sound and style of Chicago electric blues "” just about every great Chicago blues player of that time was in Waters's band at one point or another. British rockers the Rolling Stones took their name from a Waters's song "” a testament to Waters's extensive influence on both American and British rock and roll.

Essential listening: "Rolling Stone," "Honey Bee," "I Can't Be Satisfied," "Mannish Boy," "Got My Mojo Working"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhTCYqJsfqs&mode=related&search=
http://www.muddywaters.com/

quote:

Originally posted by DV8:
Tom Jones
Born: June 6, 1940, Pontypridd, South Wales

Tom Jones is a stunning vocalist with a powerful, emotionally expressive baritone-tenor range matched by a legendarily charismatic stage presence that has often been compared to that of Elvis Presley "” Presley, in fact, regarded him as one of the world's finest vocalists. Jones's first hit, "It's Not Unusual," reached number one in the U.K. and placed in the U.S. top 10 in 1965. He followed that up with a steady string of hits throughout the sixties, and eventually landed his own TV series. Jones's prolific recording career has encompassed everything from gospel to rockabilly to funk to electronic and dance music "” in the late eighties he collaborated with techno group Art of Noise, and had a big hit with a tongue-in-cheek cover of Prince's, "Kiss," a recording that showcased Jones's enduring talent and appeal as well as his sense of humor. Other milestones include a superb recording collaboration with the Chieftains and an acclaimed performance at the legendary Glastonbury Festival, both in the early nineties. Jones remains an esteemed performer worldwide, and continues to tour and record; his latest release, Mr. Jones, is a collaboration with acclaimed hip hop artist Wyclef Jean.

Essential listening: "Tennessee Waltz," "Kiss," "Green, Green Grass of Home," "She's a Lady," "I Who Have Nothing"

http://www.tomjones.com/

That's my boy...TJ

DV8 ..can u post something on Smokey Robinson...thanks