Celebrating the Birthday of Earl King!

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Earl King (Earl Silas Johnson) was born in New Orleans on February 7, 1934. King started playing guitar at 15, entered local talent contests, and met his idol, Guitar Slim, at one such contest at the Dew Drop Inn. In 1954, King toured with Guitar Slim's band, representing himself as Slim, after an automobile accident had sidelined Slim.King ultimately became a regular at the Inn, and made his first recording in 1953 as Earl Johnson. In 1955 his hit song “Those Lonely, Lonely Nights” reached number 7 on the BillboardR&B chart. The legendary Dave Bartholomew invited King to record for Imperial Records in 1960, and it was there that he recorded his signature songs “Trick Bag” and “Come On”.

While King did not record for much of the 1960s, he was very productive producing and songwriting for local labels, including the iconic “Big Chief” recorded by Professor Longhair. He recorded a few tracks for Motown Records in the mid-1960s, and in 1972 he recorded the album Street Paradewith Allen Toussaint and the Meters, which was ultimately released in 1982. King appeared on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 1976, recorded the album That Good Old New Orleans Rock ‘n Roll, released in 1977. His 1986 album Glazedwas nominated for a Grammy Award. He released two more albums in the 1990s featuring such luminaries as Snooks Eaglin, George Porter, Jr., and David Torkanosky. King performed off and on locally until his death. 

Earl King passed away on April 17, 2003, just a week before the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. And in typical New Orleans style, his funeral was held during the festival with many musicians in attendance, including Dr. John, Aaron Neville, and Leo Nocentelli. On this day we remember one of the greats of New Orleans Blues!

Photo by: Masahiro Sumori

Happy Birthday, Geno Delafose!

Zydeco accordionist and singer Geno Delafose was born on February 6, 1972, in Eunice, Louisiana, and at the age of eight, he joined his father John Delafose's band, the Eunice Playboys as a rubboard player. Delafose switched to the accordion in the early 1990s and started to play as an opening act for his father. He played with the band and appeared on many of their recordings until his father’s death in 1994. That same year, he debuted with album French Rockin' Boogie, which also became the name of his band. He released Everybody's Dancin' in 2003, appeared on the compilation album Creole Bred: A Tribute to Creole & Zydeco in 2004, and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album" category for his 2007 album  Le Cowboy Creole.

Delafose is one of the younger generations of the genre who has created the sound known as the nouveau zydeco. His sound is deeply rooted in traditional Creole music with strong influences from Cajun music and also country and western. Today let’s wish this amazing Louisiana musician a very happy birthday!

Photo: Masahiro Sumori

Celebrating the Birthday of Willie Tee

Keyboardist, songwriter, singer, and producer Wilson Turbinton, professionally known as Willie Tee, was born in New Orleans on February 6, 1944. An early architect of New Orleans funk and soul, he helped shape the sound of New Orleans for more than four decades. Tee grew up in the Calliope Projects in New Orleans. Early influences ranged from Professor Longhair’s rhythm and blues, to John Coltrane’s jazz. He made his first recordings in 1962 while still a teenager. In the late 1960s, Willie Tee & the Souls played venues from the Apollo Theater in Harlem to the Ivanhoe on Bourbon Street. Tee arranged, co-wrote and led the band on the Wild Magnolias' self-titled 1974 debut album. The popularity of that recording, and the subsequent They Call Us Wild, introduced the Mardi Gras Indians' brand of funk to the world.

Tee's early recordings have been used as source material for numerous rappers, includingNew Orleans’ own Lil Wayne, who sampled "Moment of Truth", a song from Turbinton's 1976 album, Anticipation for 2005’s "Tha Mobb", the opening track on Tha Carter II. Tee remained active in his career as a producer, songwriter, performer and session musician. He contributed to Dr. John's 2004 album, N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or D'Udda, and appeared briefly in the Oscar-winning Jamie Foxx film about Ray Charles, Ray. In April 2007, Tee was honored with an induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame for his contributions to Louisiana music. Sadly, Tee died on September 11, 2007, aged 63, four weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He may be gone, but his contribution to New Orleans music is immeasurable and will always be remembered.

Photo: Masahiro Sumori

Happy Birthday, Sonny Landreth!

Guitarist Clyde Vernon "Sonny" Landreth was born on February 1, 1951, in Canton Mississippi, but lives in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Known as the “King of Slydeco”, Landreth has developed a unique technique that has dubbed him as one of the world’s most advanced, and under-appreciated, guitarists by none other than Eric Clapton. Today and every day, we appreciate this gifted musician … happy birthday, Sonny!

Photo by: Truejustice

Happy Birthday, Samantha Fish!

Samantha Fish was born on January 30, 1989, in Kansas City, Missouri. Fish started out playing drums, but when she was 15 she switched to the guitar. Fish frequently went to the Knuckleheads Saloon to hear touring Blues artists, ultimately joining in with the performers after she turned 18. Fish recorded and produced the live album Live Bait in 2009, which led to a record with two other female blues artists, Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde, titled Girls with Guitars, as well as an international tour in 2011. Fish won the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist for her record Runaway. In 2013, Fish released her second major studio album, Black Wind Howlin', and her third studio album Wild Heart, in 2015. Fish released her fourth solo album, Chills & Fever in 2017, her fifth, Belle of the West in 2017, her sixth, Kill or Be Kind, in 2019, and her seventh, Faster, in 2021. Fish regularly performs in New Orleans and is a favorite at local festivals. The annual Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar Festival showcases her unique talent using unique instruments. Today we say to this amazingly talented artist, Happy Birthday Samantha!

Photo: Salamanamanjaro

Happy Birthday, Don Vappie!

Banjoist, guitarist, bassist, singer, arranger-composer, educator, lecturer, record and event producer, Don Vappie was born in New Orleans on January 30, 1956. He was surrounded by music growing up, with notable relatives playing music, including Papa John Joseph who played bass during the era of Buddy Bolden. A cousin gave Don piano lessons but he preferred bass, playing with a funk group from the age of 13. When the band’s guitarist left, he taught himself to play and worked in Bourbon Street clubs as a teenager. After a few years he began playing bass with jazz trios, taught himself banjo, and studied music theory and classical bass at Loyola University and Xavier University.

He made his recording debut as a leader in 1986, started his own Vappielle label, began yearly visits to Europe around that time, and in 1990 recorded Crescent City Serenade with clarinetist Dr. Michael White. After meeting and impressing Wynton Marsalis, Don began working regularly with the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra as a guitarist, banjoist and vocalist in 1994, an association that has continued for 25 years. While best known for his work in vintage New Orleans jazz, Don Vappie has a versatile style on his instruments and has performed and recorded along the way with such numerous luminaries. He has also led eight albums of his own including with his Creole Jazz Serenaders, a group that emphasizes superior obscurities from the 1920s.

Don Vappie has also been involved in many special projects. He starred in and co-produced the PBS documentary American Creole: New Orleans Reunion, writing the music for that special and for Zora Neal Hurston – Jump At The Sun, Mandeville: The Good Life, The Homefront, NCIS New Orleans and Treme. Don’s transcriptions of many early jazz recordings are available from Warner Bros. Publishing. He has done extensive research on the Creole music of New Orleans and the Caribbean, and as a speaker has lectured about everything from the influences of early jazz to the history of the banjo. In addition, he is a popular and prolific educator. Don is the jazz guitar instructor at Loyola University, an instructor at the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, works with many public schools, teaches privately (guitar, banjo, bass and mandolin), conducts master classes, clinics, workshops and seminars, and has presented many programs on New Orleans music for such organizations as Jazz At Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Tulane University, NPR, and the Smithsonian.

Don Vappie is constantly creating music and spreading the gospel of New Orleans jazz. “Traditional New Orleans jazz is the foundation for all of the music that is around today. Although I’m best known for playing the older music, I still play modern jazz too. The music all connects together. When I came up, the older guys in New Orleans played everything. They would say that they play music. That is what I do too.” Happy Birthday to an incredibly talented artist and proud son of New Orleans!

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