Artist:Elmore James
Song:I Believe
Album:Let's Cut It:The Very Best Of Elmore James
Elmore James was The King Of The Slide Guitar. He was very influential but somewhat forgotten outside the blues community due to his premature death. He was born Jan. 27, 1918 in Richland, MS. James played local dances as a teen and may have played with Robert Johnson though there's no question he was heavily influenced by him. It appears he may have also been a polygamist and was involved in the moonshine trade. James was also a radio repairman and spent a lot of time experimenting with guitar amplifiers. During WWII, he spent three years in Guam in The Navy. After he was discharged, he moved to Memphis. James was very popular in clubs but was unsure of his abilities as a recording artist. In 1951, he was playing on a Sonny Boy Williamson recording session when Lillian McMurray of Trumpet Records recorded James performing Dust My Broom without his knowledge. This variation on a Robert Johnson song became his signature tune and was a big hit. I Believe is very similar. This comp contains recordings from that period on Flair Records. By the late 50s, James had moved to Chicago and The Broomdusters were one of the most popular live acts in the city. He had signed with the larger VeeJay label but James had ongoing heart problems and died of a heart attack on May 24, 1963 at age 45. Elmore James was elected to the Blues Foundation Hall Of Fame in 1980 and named as a seminal influence in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Not surprisingly, there's no video footage of Elmore James but here's a video tribute I found on Youtube.
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