Music Deaths: Jimmy Johnson, Bluesman

JIMMY JOHNSON, 93

Died 31 January 2022

Blues guitarist and singer.  Brother of soul singer Syl Johnson.

Played with Blues greats B.B. King,  Albert King, Freddie King, Buddy Guy and others.  Also solo and with his own band at times.

Released 13 albums from 1977 to 2019.

Get Your Music Here

Right now, I am listening to the WLS Top 40 songs from May 11, 1970, on You Tube.  Once a month I do the whole Top 40.  The other weeks I just do a Top Ten and Debuts. This really takes me back fifty years.

However, here are some other really good places to hear music.  Some of it probably not what you're used to listening to, but good nonetheless.

All of these are available over the internet:

**  JUKIN' OLDIES--  A group of deejays on the internet but not in the same studio.  They really play a lot of different songs, many of which are Beach, Boogie and Blues.

**  WXRT (Chicago)  Blues and Soul Channel.  Go to the site  Click on Music at the top and scroll down to Chicago's Blues and Soul and click on it.

**  WVCO, 94.9 FM, out of North Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Beach Music.  On Wednesday's, DJ Jim Morgan takes you out to the beach and plays some of the best Beach Music ever.  (And this isn't West Coast/Beach Boys Beach Music either.)

Give To me the Music.  --RoadDog

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  "If you're upset about regular folk hoarding toilet paper, wait till you hear about how a tiny percentage of rich people have managed to hoard most of the world's wealth.

WLS Top 40 for the Week of February 9, 1970-- Part 2: "The Thrill Is Gone"

35.  KENTUCKY RAIN--  Elvis Presley      #16    Written by Eddie Rabbitt and Ronnie Milsap on the piano.

34.  BABY TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS--  Jefferson     #23    Never heard it before, but a great pop song  Jefferson (Geoff Turton) was the lead singer of the English pop group Rockin' Berries.  Recorded the original version of "Love grows (Where My Rosemary Grows)" which is also on this week's chart at #36.

33.  NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE--  Stevie Wonder      #26    Not one of his better-known songs, but a great one nonetheless.    A really great Beach Music song.  Hear that Surf 94.9 FM!!!   "Do, Do, Do Do Do Do,"

32.  BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO--  Lenny Welch     #34   The definitive slow version of Neil Sedaka's hit song in my opinion, even though Neil Sedaka had a fast version in 1962 and a follow up slow one in 1975.   From New Jersey.

31.  THE THRILL IS GONE--  B.B. King    #15   The first time I'd ever heard of B.B. King.  I'm a big Blues fan now.  His biggest pop chart song.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Seven Lonely Days And A Dozen Towns Ago."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Kentucky Rain"

Closing Out July-- Part 3: The Civil War, No Cassette Tapes, Da Blues and Baseball

SATURDAY, JULY 29

Enjoyed listening to Saturday Morning Flashback to 1971, a good college year for me.

I drove to Crystal lake where the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group 's topic was 20 significant points of the Civil War.  I then went to Target and Barnes & Noble, two stores which are not close to us in Spring Grove.  Also checked out the garden nurseries at Meijer, Home Depot and Wal-Mart, but didn't buy anything.

I'd say the end of an era has taken place as Meijer did not have the 5-pack bricks of Maxell cassette tapes that I have been buying all these many years.  This is the last place I know of that sold cassette tapes.  Oh Well.

We went to The grove in Spring Grove and watched the blues band in the biergarten for awhile and then went to Sunnyside in Johnsburg and watched the movie "Major League"  The Cubs won and Sox Lost.

What's New With That?  --RoadDog

CUBS-SOX CROSSTOWN PUTDOWNS:  Cubs fan to Sox Fan--  "Your infield has more holes than a Swiss cheese donut.

Music Deaths: Two Blues Greats

The Blues Music community recently lost two of their best, James Cotton and Lonnie Brooks.

JAMES COTTON, 81.  1935 to March 16, 2017.

LONNIE BROOKS, 83.  Died April 1, 2017.

Born in Louisiana, moved to Chicago in 1960.  He had a huge hit with Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago," later covered by the Blues Brothers.

Lonnie Brooks was one of my all-time favorite blues performers, but his two sons carry on the family tradition.

Listening to My Lonnie Brooks CD

So sad to hear of the passing of one of my favorite Blues people last week, Lonnie Brooks.

As I type this right now, I am listening to his CD on Alligator Records called "Deluxe Edition."

Now, these are some great Blues songs.

1.  Jealous Man
2.  Something You Got
3.  Temporary Insanity

4.  End of the Rope
5.  Don't take Advantage of Me
6.  You Know What My Body Needs

7.  In the Dark
8.  Hoodoo She Do
9.  Figurehead

10.  One More Shot
11.  Cold Lonely Nights
12.  Zydeco

13.  Family Rules
14.  Roll of the Tumbling Dice
15.  Like Father, Like Son

What better Way to Say Goodbye.  --RoadDog

A Real Good Cassette Collection: 20 Great Oldies-- Part 1

I have been listening to some of my prerecorded cassette tapes (and I have a REAL lot of them) and came across a really good one titles "20 Great Oldies - Vol. 4."  Made in Holland.  I knew some of the songs, but there were a lot I was unfamiliar with.

I will do the track listing.  The number behind the artist is how high it got on the Billboard Charts and I will also have the year.

Side One

1.  (DO THE) MASHED POTATOES--  Nat Kendricks & the Swans  (#84) 1960
2.  BILLY'S BAG--  Billy Preston (No rank) 1965  His first song recorded.
3.  DOWN THE AISLE (WEDDING SONG)--  Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles  (#37) 1963.  Her first hit.

4.  BOOM BOOM--  John Lee Hooker (#60)  1962.  His only hit on the Pop Charts.  Great Blues.
5.  FOLLOW YOUR HEART--  Manhattans  (#92)  1966
6.  THAT'S HOW HEARTACHES ARE MADE--  Baby Washington
7.  RAINBOW--  Gene Chandler  (#12) 1963

8.  MISTY--  Lloyd Price  *(#21) 1963
9.  SHAME SHAME SHAME--  Wilson Pickett  (No Rank)
10.  IT'S TOO LATE--  Wilson Pickett  (#49) 1963

Name That Tune (from the above):  "Gonna Shoot You Right Down."  --RoadDog



"Boom Boom"

Music Deaths: Chess Records Co-Founder Phil Chess-- Part 2

Chess records' rise helped mark the migration north of such Southern-born blacks as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and the transition of blues from acoustic to electric with hard-hitting arrangements that the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and other white stars openly drew upon.''One of today's greatest bluesmen, Buddy Guy, credited the label with raising Chicago's status to "World Capital of the Blues."

"Phil and Leonard Vhess were cuttin' the type of music no one else was paying attention to and now you can walk down (Chicago's) State Street today and see a portrait of Muddy that's ten stories tall," Guy, who recorded at Chess, said on Wednesday.  "The Chess brothers had a lot to do with that.  I'll always be grateful for that."

Like other businessmen of blues and early rock, the brothers were Jewish kids with an affinity for black music.  Phil Chess was born Fiszel Czyz in Motol, Poland, and changed his name to Phil Chess after the family immigrated to the United States.

After he served in the U.S. Army during World War II, the brothers started out with a liquor store, then ran the Macomba Lounge nightclub and music venue before getting into the music recording business.

Music Deaths: Chess Records Co-Founder Phil Chess-- Part 1

From the October 21, 2016, Chicago Tribune.

PHIL CHESS, 95.  Died October 19, 2016.

Chess Records co-founder Phil Chess, who with brother Leonard helped launch the careers of Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and others and amassed a catalog of rock and electric "Chicago" blues that profoundly influenced popular music in the 1950s and beyond has died.

His older brother Leonard died in 1969.

Started in Chicago in 1950, Chess Records was home to many of the major blues artists of the following two decades and also took on such musical pioneers as Berry, Etta James and Ike Turner, whose "Rocket 88" is considered one of the earliest rock songs.

A Busy Weekend Coming Up

Today, I was at the American Legion VA Hospital Fishing Derby and Picnic earlier and in a few minutes we will be going over to the annual Spring Grove Fish Hatchery Fish Boil at Horse Fair Park.

Saturday, we have an outside blues jam at The Grove in Spring Grove and then several bands outside at the Moose Lodge in McHenry.

Sunday is the Taste of McHenry.

I Need to Week to Rest Up.  --RoadDog

Death of Chicago's "Mr. A" in 2004

I was very sad to find out that one of my favorite DJs, Alfred Hudgins who called himself "Mr. A" died at age 75 back in 2004.  I had been looking for him after finding an old cassette tape I had made of his show.

He ran a long-running overnight blues and R&B show on classical music station WNIB in Chicago until it was sold in 2001.

He then hosted a morning blues show on WNDZ AM 750 until he had to sign off due to health issues.

I used to record his show when I got up in the middle of the night and then listen to it later.

He sure played some great music.

Goodbye, "Mr. A."  --RoadDog

Music Stuff: Van Morrison, Glenn Frey, Elvin Bishop

1.  VAN MORRISON was officially knighted (as Sir Ivan) by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace on Feb. 4. The new Sir Ivan remarked that he'd been in the music business for 53 years and "that's not bad for a blue-eyed soul singer from East Belfast."

2.  GLENN FREY DRIVE--  On Feb. 11, 2016, the City of Royal Oak, Michigan and the Royal Oak School Board voted to rename a section of Willis Avenue as "Glenn Frey Drive," in honor of the Eagles'member who just died and grew up there.

3.  ELVIN BISHOP--  to be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis on May 4.

--RoadDog

TEEN ATTIRE:  A teen-aged boy with spiked hair, nose ring and baggy clothes was overheard telling a friend, "I don't really like dressing like this, but it keeps my parents from dragging me everywhere with them."

Chicago Soul Legend Otis Clay Dead at Age 73

From the Jan. 10, 2016, Chicago Tribune Obituaries by Howard Reich.

OTIS CLAY 1942-2016.

He was pegged at various times as a soul singer, gospel titan or a high-energy showman.  he was all of that and more.  He had roots in Mississippi who came to Chcago.  he was a one-time Grammy award nominee and had late 1960s hits with "That's How It Is (When You're in Love" and in the early 1970s "Trying to Live My Life Without You" which became a hit for Bob Seger.  In the 80s, he had "When the Gates Swing Open."

people who influenced him were Duke Ellington, Thomas A. Dorsey, Sam Cooke and Muddy Waters among many others.

Clay was a 2013 inductee, died January 8, 2016, at age 73

In concert, he was a galvanic force and those shows were outstanding.

I got out my two cassettes and two CDs and listened to them over and over after I heard of his death.

Some Music to Check Out: B.B. King Show Tonight on WXRT

I am not surprised to find out this morning that Tom Marker has expanded his hour-long Bluesbreakers Show on Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM to two hours to honor bluesman supreme B.B. King who died last week.  It starts at 8 p.m. CDST and goes to 10.  It streams at www.wxrt.com.

Plus, right now, Fessa John Hook is running the Beach Music Top 40 for the year 1958, worth a listen at www.beachshag.com.

Bob Stroud's Ten at Ten for today was ten songs from 1976.  Wednesday he goes to 1982 and then 1977 for Wednesday.  the show runs at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. at www.wdrv.com CDST.

--RoadDog

The King Is Dead: B.B. King, 89: Bluesman Supreme

I was expecting it since I heard he was under hospice care, but the blues and rock genres are that much less today with word of B.B. King.

I had become aware of something being wrong with him on WXRT's Tom Marker's Bluebreakers Show earlier this year.  He pointed out that B.B. King had essentially disappeared and began playing one of his songs every show until they found out what was wrong.

That means his famous guitar (actually several guitars) has lost its owner.  Of course, there was his huge "The Thrill Is Gone" song that made me aware of blues music.

I'm sure Tom Marker will have a full Bluebreakers show on King this coming Monday, WXRT 93.1 FM, Chicago (CSDT) and it streams.

--RoadDog

Music to Listen to This Next Week

WXRT, 93.1 FM, will feature 1971 on Wendy Rice's Saturday Morning Flashback tomorrow from 8 to noon CST.

Bob Stroud will do his Rock and Roll Roots Show from 7-10 a.m. CST Sunday on WDRV 97.1 FM and Terri Hemmert with have her Breakfast With the Beatles from 8-10 a.m. on WXRT.

During next week, Bob Stroud has his Ten at Ten at both 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on WDRV.  he plays ten songs from one year:
Mon. 1971
Tues. 1978
Wed. 1988
Thurs. 1975
Fri.  A Wild Ten

Plus, if you want to get a taste of that great Beach Music, Fessa John Hook will be doing his current Beach Music Countdown and Class reunion 2005 shows at his site www.beachshag.com.

Plus, Tom Marker has his Blues Breakers show 9 to 10 p.m. on WXRT Mondays.

All stations stream.

Give 'Em a Listen.  --RoadDog

NORM'S BEST QUOTES:  What's going down, Normie?  "My butt cheeks on that bar stool."

Boating, Football and Great Weather This Past Weekend

After a pretty crummy first part of October, we finally had one of those great fall weekends you have to get out and enjoy as you-know-what is just around the corner.  And, we sure did take advantage of it.

Friday, we went out boating and then i went over to Johnsburg High School for a football game (we won) on a perfect night with temps in the 60s and NO WIND.  We did have a ten minute rain shower, though, but I weathered it under the stands.

Saturday, it was boating again, our 44th time this season and then a blues jam outside in the Never Sink Inn's beer garden in Spring Grove.  Despite way too much jamming (the blues' biggest problem), it was great to sit outside in the sun wearing shorts and tee-shirts.

Sunday, we went to Richmond for an outside party for Da Bears and had a good time despite one of the worst efforts for us in a long time.  It was embarrassing, but all those ribs, drinks, and friends  helped soothe our sorrows.  And, it was shorts and jersey weather again with lots of sun.

After the game, we had a local band, Second Chapter, play.  Came home and had a bonfire out at the burn pile and put up my last strand of Halloween lights.  The house looks quite eerie now with the orange C9  lights across the deck as well as lights across the front and lighted pumpkins in the windows.

Like, Boo!!  --RoadDog


SAY WHAT?  "Telegraph your punches."  Find out in advance using really old technology.

Music for Your Ears

Right now, Fessa John Hook is playing the Beach Music Top 40 from 1951!!!  If you want to hear some classic rock befrer it became rock, give it a  listen at www.beachshag.com.  He'll have it on for a week.  Plus, you can get this week's Beach Music Top 40 and Saturday Night Fish Fry Blues Show.

Wendy Rice goes back to 1992 on her Saturday Morning Flashback on WXRT today from 8-noon CST at www.wxrt.com.  Sunday, Terri Hemmert has her Breakfast with the Beatles from 8-10 a.m..  Sunday night from 9-11 p.m., Little Steven has his Underground Garage show.  Monday night, Tom Marker has his Bluesbreakers Show from 9-10 p.m..

Sunday, Bob Stroud does his Rock and Roll Roots show featuring music from the 60s-70s from 7-10 a.m. at www,wdrv.com.  Next week's Ten at Tens (at 10 a.m. and rebroadcast 10 p.m. CST):

Mon.--  1986
Tues.--  1978
Wed.--  1971
Thurs.--  Album Sides Thursday all day on WDRV.  A whole side of a classic album played on vinyl.
Fri.--  1981

--RoadDog


SAY WHAT?  "My dance card is full."  Fox trot pairings were scheduled.

Music Deaths 2013: Writer and Chicago Blues

PAUL WILLIAMS, 64:  Pioneering rock writer.  Wrote and published Crawdaddy Magazine in 1966, 18 months before Rolling Stone Magazine debuted.  Died March 27, 2013.

JIMMY DAWKINS, 76:  Born 1936, died April 10, 2013.  Major part of the Chicago West Side Blues sound, known for guitar playing.  Born Mississippi and came to Chicago in the 1950s.

Deaths: "Blue" Boy

From Yahoo!  AP

BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND, 83

Died yesterday, June 23rd.  Noted for his mix of blues and soul on such hits as "Turn On Your Love Light" and "Further On Up the Road" and had one striking and memorable voice.  I especially liked when he'd add that little "rumble" to his voice.

Lawrence Mitchell siad, "He brought a certain level of class to the blues genre."  I have several LPs, CDs and cassettes by him and will pop some into the old players and give a listen today.

A contemporary of better known B.B. King, Bobby Bland was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.  Born is a amall Tennessee town, he moved to Memphis and was a founding father of the Beale Streeters with B.B. King and Johnny Ace.

In 1957, he had his first #1 R&B song with "Further On Up the Road."  The nickname "Blue" came from his song "Little Boy Blue."  Beginning in 1960, with "I'll Yake Care of You," he had a string of a dozen R&B hits in a row, including "Turn On Your Lovelight" in 1961.  Lin Braehmer was playing that very song on Chicago's WXRT as I was reading the name of it in the obituary.  Braehmer also gave some information about him.  Greateful Dead covered the song.

He'll be Missed.