T-Bone Walker performing at London's Hammersmith Odeon
Photo by David Redfearn
T-Bone Walker was born 112 years ago today.
Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker was a critically acclaimed blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was one of the most influential pioneers and innovators of the jump blues and electric blues sound.
Born in Linden, Texas, of African-American and Cherokee descent, Walker's parents, Movelia Jimerson and Rance Walker, were both musicians. His stepfather, Marco Washington, taught him to play the guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin and piano.
Early in the 1900s, the teenage Walker learned his craft among the street-strolling string bands of Dallas. His mother and stepfather (a member of the Dallas String Band) were musicians, and family friend, Blind Lemon Jefferson, sometimes joined the family for dinner.
Walker left school at age 10. By 15, he was a professional performer on the blues circuit. Initially, he was Jefferson's protégé and would guide him around town for his gigs. In 1929, Walker made his recording debut with a single for Columbia Records, "Wichita Falls Blues"/"Trinity River Blues," billed as Oak Cliff T-Bone.
Oak Cliff was the community he lived in at the time and T-Bone a corruption of his middle name. Pianist Douglas Fernell was his musical partner for the first recording. By age 25, Walker was working and the clubs in Los Angeles' Central Avenue, sometimes as the featured singer and guitarist with Les Hite's orchestra.
By 1942, with his second album release, Walker's new-found musical maturity and ability had advanced to the point that Rolling Stone claimed that he "shocked everyone" with his newly developed distinctive sound upon the release of his first single, "Mean Old World," on the Capitol Records label.
Much of his output was recorded from 1946–1948 on Black & White Records, including his most famous song, 1947's "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad).” Other notable songs he recorded during this period were "Bobby Sox Blues" (a #3 R&B hit in 1946) and "West Side Baby" (#8 on the R&B singles charts in 1948).
Throughout his career, Walker worked with top notch musicians, including trumpeter Teddy Buckner, pianist Lloyd Glenn, Billy Hadnott (bass) and tenor saxophonist Jack McVea. From 1950-54, he recorded for Imperial Records, backed by Dave Bartholomew.
Walker's only record in the next five years was T-Bone Blues, recorded over three widely separated sessions in 1955, 1956 and 1959 and finally released by Atlantic Records in 1960. By the early 1960s, Walker's career had slowed down, in spite of a hyped appearance at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1962 with Memphis Slim and prolific writer and musician, Willie Dixon.
Yet, several critically acclaimed albums followed, such as I Want a Little Girl, recorded for Delmark Records in 1968. Walker recorded in his last years, from 1968–1975, for Robin Hemingway's Jitney Jane Songs music publishing company.
Persistent stomach woes and a 1974 stroke slowed Walker's career down to a crawl. He died of bronchial pneumonia following another stroke in March, 1975 at the age of 64.
Chuck Berry named Walker and Louis Jordan as his main influences. B.B. King cites hearing Walker's "Stormy Monday" record as his inspiration for getting an electric guitar. It was also a favorite of the Allman Brothers Band. Walker was admired by Jimi Hendrix who imitated Walker's trick of playing the guitar with his teeth. Duke Robillard is a current guitarist keeping the blues style of Walker alive.
Here, Walker performs at Jazz at the Philharmonic in the UK, 1966