Song:Baby What You Want Me To Do
Album:Blues Masters Vol. 7: Blues Revival
Though Jimmy Reed was probably not the greatest blues artist, the simplicity of his music made him more accessible and more popular. And he was a big part of the 60s blues revival. So he was a big influence on others. He was born Sept. 6, 1925 in Dunleith, MS. He learned guitar and harmonica from his pal Eddie Taylor and started playing local clubs. Reed moved to Chicago in 1943 but was drafted into the Navy and served for two years. After returning to Mississippi to marry his wife Mary, they relocated to Gary, IN. He worked in a meat packing plant while trying to establish his music career. In the 50s, he was with John Brim's Gary Kings. After failing an audition with Chess Records, Albert King took him to Vee-Jay Records and Jimmy Reed made his first recordings there. He also reunited with Eddie Taylor and they would remain musical partners for the remainder of Reed's career. Beginning in 1956, Jimmy Reed was a fixture at the top of the R & B charts until Vee-Jay closed in 1963. The problem was Reed was a bad alcoholic and behaved very unprofessionally while under the influence. Then in 1957, he was diagnosed with epilepsy though some thought it was just alcohol delerium. But it didn't hurt his record sales and Baby What You Want Me To Do was his biggest pop hit in 1960 at #37. It's a classic song that was popularized even more when Elvis Presley performed it on the Elvis 68 TV special. This Rhino various artists comp is recommended to beginners. Reed signed with Bluesway after Vee-Jay went broke but didn't have the same success there. Jimmy Reed was finally treated properly for epilepsy and quit drinking but died on Aug. 29, 1976 at age 50. But there's no question that Jimmy Reed laid the groundwork for the blues revival of the 60s and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1991. Here's Jimmy Reed performing on a Houston TV station in Dec. 1974. It's not the best quality but I was surprised that this was the only Jimmy Reed clip available.
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