Joe Hill Louis
| Joe Hill Louis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lester Hill |
| Also known as | The Be-Bop Boy, The Pepticon Boy |
| Born | September 23, 1921 Raines, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | August 5, 1957 (aged 35) Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Blues |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, harmonica, drums |
| Years active | 1940s–1957 |
| Labels | Sun, Checker, Modern, Columbia.[1] |
Joe Hill Louis (September 23, 1921 – August 5, 1957), born Lester Hill, was an American singer, guitarist, harmonica player and one-man band. He is significant, along with fellow Memphis bluesman Doctor Ross as one of only a small number of one-man blues bands to have recorded commercially in the 1950s, and as a session musician for Sun Records.
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[edit] Early life
Louis was born Lester (or possibly Leslie) Hill[2] on September 23, 1921[3] in Raines, Tennessee.[4] His nickname “Joe Louis” arose as a result of a childhood fight with another youth.[2] At the age of 14 he left home to work as a servant for a wealthy Memphis family,[5] and also worked in the Peabody Hotel, Memphis, in the late 1930s. From the early 1940s onwards he worked as a musician and one-man band.[3]
[edit] Recording and radio career
Louis’ recording debut was made for Columbia in 1949, and his music was released on a variety of independent labels through the 1950s, most notably recording for Sam Phillips’ Sun Records,[2] for whom he recorded extensively as a backing musician for a wide variety of other singers as well as under his own name.[6] His most notable recording was probably as guitarist on Rufus Thomas’s “Bear Cat”, recorded as an answer record to Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog”, which reached No. 3 on the R&B chart[7] and resulted in legal action for copyright infringement. He also shared writing credit for the song “Tiger Man”, which has been recorded by Elvis Presley, among others.
Around 1950 he took over the “Pepticon Boy” radio program on WDIA from B. B. King.[8]
He was also known as “The Pepticon Boy” and “The Be-Bop Boy”.[2]
[edit] Death
Louis died on August 5, 1957 in John Gaston Hospital, Memphis,[9] at the age of 35, from tetanus contracted as a result of an infected cut to his thumb, sustained while working as an odd job man.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. p. 138. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ a b c d Dahl, Bill: Joe Hill Louis biography, Allmusic.com
- ^ a b Harris, 1989 p. 337
- ^ Memphishistory.org: Joe Hill Louis
- ^ Turner, 1985 p. 24
- ^ a b Turner, 1985, p. 24
- ^ Turner, 1985, p. 37
- ^ Harris 1989, p. 337
- ^ Harris, 1989, p. 337
[edit] Bibliography
- Harris, S (1989). Blues Who’s Who, 5th paperback edition. New York, Da Capo Press.
- Turner, B (1985). "The Blues in Memphis". In Sun Records: The Blues Years 1950-1956 [album booklet]. London: Sun Records.
