Blues Artist of the Week - Elmore James

Elmore James (1918-1963), known as the King of the Slide Guitar, was born in Richland, Mississippi. James was known for his loud amplification and his harsh, rousing voice. 

 Early Life

Trained as a radio repairman, James used these skills to rework his guitar amplifiers in his spare time. The result was his raw, distorted sound. Not until the heavy rock era of the 1960’s did this sound resurface.  

 Listening to Robert Johnson inspired Elmore at an early age.  

James was a military veteran, and during WWII, Elmore was a Coxswain and participated in the invasion of Guam. 

 Like many Blues and Jazz greats, he was part of the mass migration from the South to Chicago. He was a fundamental artist transforming and evolving the electronic technology within the music industry.

 Blues Career

Elmore James played alongside Sonny Boy Williamson in the ’30’s and then Rice Miller before migrating to Chicago. 

 After his Chicago migration, James established a beachhead in Chicago’s clubs as one of the most popular live acts and regularly broadcasting over WPOA. He had a productive professional relationship with disc jockey Big Bill Hill.

 Utilizing his amplified technology created his unique blues style. Raw is how it is best described. Loud and raw were essential for Elmore. Not only did he deliver raw blues with his guitar his compelling voice was a great compliment. A hollow body modified guitar finalized this unique sound. Once again a sound that wasn’t popular until the rock era. 

 He did play a wide variety of Blues that was similar to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. 

 Elmore died of a heart attack in Chicago in 1963 at the early age of 45.

Influenced

 Like many of the Blues greats, Rock and Roll can credit James as a prominent influencer and creator of the songs that became the bedrock of that genre.  

 Numerous rock musicians, including Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, adopted his hard-driving style and often recorded his songs. Also, a significant influence on Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac. 

 Awards 

• Blues Hall of Fame in 1980

• inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992

 Start Your Listening Enjoyment:

 I recommend two albums to start with.  

• The Sky Is Crying: The History Of Elmore James

• The Rollin’ & Tumblin