(Guitar, vocals, b. 1934) Rush, who was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, was – along with Buddy Guy and Magic Sam – part of the defining trinity of Chicago’s West Side sound. His 1950s Cobra Records singles ‘All Your Love (I Miss Loving)’ and ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’ became standards. Rush is undoubtedly a genius, ...
For over 30 years, guitarist Alex Lifeson has quietly served as the cohesive key to success for progressive rockers Rush – arguably the most enduring and successful hard-rock band of all time. A guitarist always more interested in finding the right chord voicing or textural effect to make a chorus work than in shredding the frets off his axe du ...
(Vocals, 1899–1972) James Andrew Rushing was born in Oklahoma City into a musical family. He worked in California in the mid-1920s as a pianist and vocalist, joined Walter Page’s Blue Devils in Oklahoma City in 1927 and made his recording debut with the band in 1929. He played with the Bennie Moten Band in Kansas City from 1929, ...
(Drums, vibes, vocals, b. 1921) John Alexander Veliotes, born in Vallejo, California, started as a drummer and formed a big band in 1945. By 1947, Otis had switched to a seven- or eight-piece group. This was one of the earliest R&B combos to tour; the Johnny Otis Rhythm & Blues Caravan included vocalists Little ...
(Piano, vocals, 1930–70) The finest post-war blues pianist, Spann learned to play at churches and parties around his Jackson, Mississippi birthplace. From 1952 until his death from cancer, he was house keyboardist at Chess Records, recording with Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and others. Although ...
(Guitar, bass, harmonica, b. 1940) Rush’s mix of vaudeville stage antics and soul-blues grooves has made him the king of the modern chitlin circuit. Born in Homer, Louisiana, Rush moved with his family to Chicago in 1953, already mesmerized by Muddy Waters and Louis Jordan. He emerged from the West Side blues scene in the ...
(Guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, vocals, b. 1948) Colorado’s Otis Taylor is the most inventive blues songwriter to emerge in recent decades. The Chicago native revives the genre’s role as protest music, often telling stories of lynchings, racial injustice and homelessness. His use of archaic Appalachian banjo tunings, droning progressions and digital delay creates ...
(Bandleader, singer-songwriter, b. 1921) Of Greek parentage, California-born John Veliotes topped the US R&B chart twice in 1950 with ‘Double Crossing Blues’ and ‘Mistrustin’ Blues’, both credited to The Johnny Otis Orchestra. After moving from Berkeley to Los Angeles, he supposedly discovered such notable R&B vocalists as ‘Little’ Esther Phillips, Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton, ...
Georgia’s finest soul son, Otis Redding’s story encapsulates the history of soul music. He was a hard-working performer with special gifts who became a role model of dedication and success, an icon for his African-American peers. In the process he also won the hearts of the white audience with his music, and, by the simple act of ...
(Vocal group, 1968–present) A Canadian power trio, Geddy Lee (bass, keyboards, vocals), Alex Lifeson (guitar) and Neil Peart (drummer, lyricist) came together in 1968, though with original drummer John Rutsey until 1974. Their blend of progressive rock and heavy metal was at its peak on the concept album 2112 (1976) and A Farewell To Kings ...
Few would deny that the blues has played a more important role in the history of popular culture than any other musical genre. As well as being a complete art form in itself, it is a direct ancestor to the different types of current popular music we know and love today. Without the blues there would have been no Beatles ...
(Vocals, b. 1945) This raw-edged songstress emerged from the same Austin, Texas scene that yielded Stevie Ray Vaughan, with her 1986 debut Stranger Blues. Strehli, who was born in Lubbock, perfected her slow phrasing and dynamic attack at the famed Antone’s nightclub, learning from visiting artists Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Albert Collins and ...
Freddie (sometimes spelled Freddy) King (1934–76) revitalized the Chicago blues scene in the 1960s. His aggressive playing and piercing solos helped to set up the blues-rock movement, and he was a major influence on 1960s British guitarists like Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor. King’s mother taught him to play guitar as a child in Gilmer, Texas ...
(Guitar, vocals, 1934–76) Few bluesmen have possessed the bristling intensity of Freddie King, whose stinging vibrato and energetic, soaring vocal style influenced Eric Clapton. King was born in Gilmer, Texas and learned guitar from his mother at age six. He moved to Chicago in 1950, earning a reputation among peers like Buddy Guy and Otis ...
(Guitar, vocals, b. 1936) Guitarist Jimmy Dawkins came from Mississippi to the West Side of Chicago in 1955, formed a friendship with Luther Allison and slowly built a good reputation with his slow-burning expressiveness. He made his first recording, the award-winning Fast Fingers, in 1969 for Delmark Records and followed up with the equally serious All ...
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An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
his life, music, art and movies, with a
sweep of incredible photographs.