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Elmore James was one of the most influential and imitated postwar bluesmen. He was born in 1918, the illigitimate son of a 15 year old, and her soon to be husband Joe Willie James. |
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| He began to learn the guitar at age 12, before which he made music using a piece of baling wire tacked to the wall. As his competancy grew, along with his desire not to end up working on a plantation, he began to fall in with other well known blues artists, like Robert Johnson, from whom he learned the song 'dust my broom'. |
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His debut as a recording artist was unknown to him, as he did not want his work to be taped, and it was only when somebody taped one of his many versions of 'dust my broom' while playing in a club. His first official record was in 1952 with.. 'dust my broom' (surprised?) and he moved to Chicago soon after. He recorded for a number of labels, including Metor, Chess, Flair, Checker and Cheif, and a band that was constantly changing, including Johnny Jones, Homesick James (his cousin), and Oldie Payne. His most memorable music was produced at the end of the decade, unfortunatley, he died in 1963, in the home of Homesick James. A blues musician who died of a broken heart. | |
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Echos of his music have lived on in many rythm and blues bands of the 60's and beyond.., the Rolling Stones, and Fleetwood Mac.. and if he was still alive today he would join the ranks of the elders such as Muddy Waters.. But, like his child prodigee, Brian Jones, he dissapeared with much of his best work still in front of him. |
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