Died On This Date (February 7, 1959) Guitar Slim / New Orleans Blues Great
themusicsover Guitar Slim (Born Eddie Jones)
December 10, 1926 – February 7, 1959
Guitar Slim was a New Orleans blues singer and guitarist whose “The Things That I Used To Do” is considered one of the most important records to the birth of rock ‘n roll. Slim learned to play the guitar as a child while working the cotton fields of Mississippi. After serving in the military during WWII, Slim began to build a local following due to his dynamic live shows. He was one of the first to wear outlandishly colorful outfits while sometimes dying his hair to match. And he is likely the first to commonly roam through the audience attached to a long guitar chord. On occasion he’d even walk out the front door of the club and literary stop traffic while playing a solo. He was also one of the earliest users of distortion in his playing. In 1954, he released his biggest hit, “That Thing That I Used To Do,” which was later covered by the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy. Slim’s version was produced and arranged by a young Ray Charles. Just five years later, Guitar Slim died of pneumonia at the age of 32.
What You Should Own
Sam Maghett, more commonly known as Magic Sam, was a respected Chicago blues musician who began building a following during the early ’50s thanks in part, to his distinctive tremolo, or “trembling” style of play. He was part of a new generation of blues musician that was breathing new life into the genre. That group including Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. Maghett landed a record deal in the late ’50s and although none of his records charted, they are considered very influential upon future generations of Chicago blues musicians. The momentum of Maghett’s career was cut short when he was drafted into the army, deserted after just a few weeks, resulting in a six month jail term. Magic Sam scored a few minor hits during the early ’60s, but suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 32.
Sam Carr was exposed to the blues at a very young age. His father was blues great,