Artist:Willie Mabon
Song:I Don't Know
Album:The Seventh Son
The 1952 single I Don't Know was one of two #1 R&B hits for singer, songwriter and pianist Willie Mabon. He didn't seem to have much success after that and he moved to France in the 70s. He was born Oct. 24, 1925 in Hollywood, TN which is a suburb of Memphis. Mabon moved to Chicago in 1942 and he started recording in 1949 first with Aristocrat and then Parrot Records. Parrot was owned by DJ Al Benson. Parrot released Mabon's debut single I Don't Know and Chess Records liked it so much that they bought Mabon's contract. It says on one source that Chess bought Parrot but I think they bought Mabon's contract. Once Chess reissued I Don't Know, it topped the R&B Singles chart. Mabon wrote the song and played piano. Other musicians were Ernest Cotton on tenor sax, Bill Anderson on bass and Bill Stepney on drums. All three were in Memphis Slim's band. Mabon's other #1 R&B hit was the 1953 single I'm Mad. After that they didn't have much success with Mabon. They even had him record Willie Dixon's The Seventh Son with Dixon in 1955 and that went nowhere. Mabon left Chess in 1957 and recorded for Federal, Mad, Formal and USA Records. You can get Mabon's Chess hits on this budget comp from the reissue label Charly. Mabon moved to France in 1972 and was part of Jim Simpson's American Blues Legends tours. He recorded and toured until his death on Apr. 19, 1985 at age 59. Here's Willie Mabon performing I Don't Know on French TV 1974.
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