Willie Mitchell (musician)

Willie Mitchell (March 23, 1928 – January 5, 2010) was an American soul, R&B, rock and roll, pop and funk music producer and arranger who ran Royal Recording in Memphis, Tennessee. He was best known for his Hi Records label of the 1970s, which released albums by a large stable of popular Memphis soul artists, including Mitchell himself, Al Green, Syl Johnson and Ann Peebles.

Biography

Born and raised in Ashland, Mississippi, Mitchell moved to Memphis when he was in high school. He attended Rust College.^[1]

At the age of eight, he began to play the trumpet. While in high school, he was a featured player in popular local big bands. He later formed his own combo, which from time to time included musicians such as trumpeter Booker Little, saxophonists Charles Lloyd, and George Coleman, and pianist Phineas Newborn, Jr.^[1]

Mitchell landed a job with the Home of the Blues record label as a producer, then left to join Hi Records as both a recording artist and a producer.^[1]

Known at the recording studio as "Papa Willie", Mitchell earned his nickname by taking over the reins of Hi Records in 1970 and guiding it through its most successful period. Mitchell's productions have been much noted for featuring a hard-hitting kick drum sound (usually played by pioneering Memphis drummer Al Jackson, Jr. of Booker T. and the MG's).^{[citation needed]}

A trumpeter and bandleader in his own right, Mitchell released a number of popular singles for Hi Records as an artist in the 1960s, including "Soul Serenade."

He and Al Green revived their successful recording partnership in 2003 when Green recorded I Can't Stop, his first collaboration with Mitchell since 1985's He is the Light. Their 2005 follow-up project was Everything's OK.

Mitchell died in Memphis January 5, 2010, at the age of 81.

Discography

Sunrise Serenade – 1963
It's Dance Time – 1965
It's What's Happenin – 1966
Ooh Baby, You Turn Me On – 1967
The Hit Sound of Willie Mitchell – 1967
Willie Mitchell Live at the Royal – 1968
On Top – 1969
Solid Soul – 1969
Soul Bag – 1969
Robbin's Nest – 1970
The Many Moods of Willie Mitchell – 1970
Hold It – 1971
Listen Dance – 1971
Willie Mitchell Live – 1977
Willie Willie Willie – 1981
That Driving Beat – 1986
Walkin' With Willie – 2003
"Best Damn Fool (with Buddy Guy)" – 2008

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Howard, David N. (2004). Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings, pp. 150–51. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 0634055607.

External links

[howard-1] Howard, David N. (2004). Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings, pp. 150–51. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 0634055607.

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