Carl Weathersby
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Carl Weathersby (born Carlton Weathersby, 24 February 1953, Jackson, Mississippi) is a electric blues vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter.[1] Weathersby has worked most notably with Albert King and Billy Branch, and is now a solo artist.
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[edit] Biography
Weathersby spent his early years in Meadville, Mississippi, a place he still considers home, although when he was aged eight, his family moved to East Chicago, Indiana.
[edit] Pre-musician years (1953-1979)
As a teenager, Weathersby began to learn the guitar. One day, after practicing "Cross Cut Saw" many times through, he decided to show his father. After he finished playing it, his father's friend, a man Weathersby knew as Albert, the diesel mechanic, said, "Man, that ain't the way that song goes, that ain't the way I played it." The mechanic turned out to be Albert King, the writer of the song, (Tommy McClennan wrote & recorded "Crosscut Saw Blues" in 1941; same song.), who then showed Weathersby how to play it. Despite Weathersby's mistake, King was impressed and would eventually sign Weathersby on to play rhythm guitar with him on tour.[citation needed]
However his career as musician would start many years later. Before then, Weathersby worked many jobs ranging from steel mill worker to prison guard and police man. He also served in the U.S. Army from 1971 to 1977, during the Vietnam War.
[edit] Collaborative years (1979-1995)
It was after the Vietnam War that Weathersby would begin playing rhythm guitar with Albert King. It was only on short road trips between 1979–81, but the experience solidified Weathersby's identity as a blues musician.
He then started filling in for the guitarist of the Sons of Blues, Carlos Johnson, who Weathersby described as "a pretty shaky guy, you know. He could show up just as easy as he couldn't show up..." [2] Eventually the band hired Weathersby on as their full-time guitarist, a position he held for the next fifteen years.
[edit] Solo years (1995-present)
His position as guitarist for the Sons of Blues earned him a name among the blues fans of Chicago, it also left him feeling discontent. He was tired of working the hardest out of all the band members, but only playing "second fiddle" to Billy Branch, the leader of the band.[citation needed]
Because of his growing popularity, Evidence Records was quick to produce Weathersby's first album Don't Lay Your Blues on Me. They have since published all of his subsequent albums, up to Come to Papa. His only live album In the House was recorded at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland and was joined by harp player and past bandmate Billy Branch. In The House was released under the Crosscut record label. Weathersby has since self produced the album, Hold On.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo albums
- 1996: Don't Lay Your Blues On Me, Evidence Records
- 1997: Looking Out My Window, Evidence Records
- 1998: Restless Feeling, Evidence Records
- 2000: Come To Papa, Evidence Records
- 2003: Best Of Carl Weathersby, Evidence Records
- 2004: In The House: Live At Lucerne Vol. 5, Crosscut Records
- 2005: Hold On
- 2009: I'm Still Standing Here
[edit] Sideman/guest performer
- 1985: Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues - Romancing The Blue Stone, Black & Blue Records
- 1985: Buster Benton - Blues At The Top, Evidence Records
- 1989: Robert Covington - Blues In The Night, Evidence Records
- 1992: Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues - Mississippi Flashback, GBW Records
- 1994: Hubert Sumlin & Billy Branch - Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 22, Wolf Records
- 1994: Carey Bell - Deep Down, Alligator Records
- 1994: George Gruntz - Beyond Another Wall: Live In China, TCB Music
- 1995: Billy Branch - The Blues Keep Following Me Around, Verve Records
- 1996: Jayne Cortez & The Firespitters - Taking The Blues Back Home, Verve Records
- 1996: Billy Branch - Satisfy Me, Verve Records
- 1999: Mississippi Heat - Handyman, Van Der Linden Records
- 2001: Rico McFarland - Tired Of Being Alone, Evidence Records
- 2002: Buster Benton - Blues Reference: Blues And Trouble, Black & Blue Records
- 2002: Mississippi Heat - Footprints On The Ceiling, Crosscut Records
- 2003: The Sons Of Blues - Blues Reference: As The Years Go Passing By, Black & Blue Records
- 2004: Trudy Lynn - Blues Power: Trudy's Blues, Isabel Records
- 2004: Charles Wilson - If Heartaches Were Nickels, Delmark Records
- 2004: Nora Jean Bruso - Going Back To Mississippi, Severn Records
- 2004: Sam Cockrell & The Groove - I'm In The Business, Boom Boom Records
- 2005: Mississippi Heat - Glad You're Mine, Crosscut Records
- 2005: Biscuit Miller - Come Together, No Label
- 2005: Little Milton - Think Of Me, Telarc
- 2008: Mississippi Heat - "Hattiesburg Blues", Delmark Records
- 2005: Bernard Allison, Larry McCray, Carl Weathersby, Lucky Peterson - Triple Fret, JSP Records
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
- ^ Bluesmusicnow.com
