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T-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux Walker or T-Bone Walker or Oak Cliff T-Bone
Born May 26 1910 Linden, Texas, USA
Died March 15 1975
Guitarist, Singer, Pianist, Songwriter
T-Bone Walker was one of the most important pioneers of the electric guitar, his solos were among the first heard on modern Blues recordings and set a standard that is still followed today.
Walker was born in Linden in Texas of African American and Cherokee descent. When he was a young man his family moved to a region of south Dallas known as Oak Cliff where he met and learned from Blind Lemon Jefferson, another Blues musician. Walker's debut recording was Wichita Falls Blues/Trinity River Blues recorded for Columbia records in 1929 under the name, Oak Cliff T-Bone. His distinctive sound did not develop until 1942, when Walker recorded "Mean Old World" for Capitol Records.
His electric guitar solos were among the first heard on Blues recordings. The Blues master Lonnie Johnson recorded at least once on electric guitar but his innovation was neither much noted nor influential.
Much of Walker's output was recorded from 1946-1948 on Black and White records including 1947`s Stormy Monday Blues with its famous opening line "They Call It Stormy Monday, But Tuesday`s Just As Bad". He followed up with "T-Bone Shuffle" and "Let Your Hair Down Baby, Lets Have A Natural Ball", both are considered classics.
B B King said that it was Stormy Monday Blues that inspired him to take up the guitar, the song was also a favorite live number for The Allman Brothers Band. Throughout his career Walker worked with top quality musicians including Teddy Buckner(Trumpet), Lloyd Glen(Piano), Billy Hadnott(Bass) and Jack McVea(Tenor Sax).
Following his work with Black And White, he recorded from 1950-1954 for Imperial Records backed by Dave Bartholomew. Walkers only record in the next five years was "T-Bone Blues" recorded over three widely separated sessions in 1955, 1956 and 1959 and finally released by Atlantic Records in 1960.
By the early 1960`s Walkers career slowed down in site of a hyped appearance at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1962 with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon, among others. A few critically acclaimed albums followed such as "I Want A Little Girl".
Walker recorded in his last years 1968-1975 for Robin Hemmingway's Jitney Jane Songs Music Publishing Company, and won a Grammy Award in 1971 for "Good Feelin", produced by Robin Hemmingway. "Fly Walker Airlines" also produced by Hemmingway, was released in 1973.
T-Bone Waker died of pneumonia in 1975 at the age of 64. He is interred in the Inglewood park cemetery in Inglewood in California.
LEGACY. Walkers influence extended beyond his music. Chuck Berry called Walker his main influence, T-Bone Walker was Jimi Hendrix`s hero and Hendrix imitated him throughout his life.Years before Hendrix, Walker was playing guitar with his teeth and in strange positions.
Walker was posthumously inducted into The Blues Hall Of Fame in 1980,and into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987. |
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