"Baby Face" Leroy Foster

"Baby Face" Leroy Foster (February 1, 1923 - May 26, 1958) was an American blues singer, drummer and guitarist, active in Chicago from the mid 1940s until the late 1950s. He was a significant figure in the development of the post-war electric Chicago blues sound, most notably as a member of the Muddy Waters band during its formative years.cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:abfpxqy5ldhe~T1|title= Leroy Foster: Biography |publisher= Allmusic | accessdate=2008-09-21]

Life and career

Foster was born in Algoma, Mississippi. He moved to Chicago in the mid 1940s, and by 1946 was working with pianist Sunnyland Slim and harmonica player John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson.cite web|url=http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/parkway.html|title=The Legendary Parkway Label|publisher=hubcap.clemson.edu|accessdate=2008-09-21] He was introduced to singer and guitarist Muddy Waters by an acquaintance Waters met at a recording session in 1946, and was soon playing guitar and drums in Waters’ band, along with guitar and harmonica player Jimmy Rogers, [Gordon pp. 82-83] with the band later joined by Little Walter on harmonica. Calling themselves the Headhunters, the trio were known for going from club to club and “cutting” (i.e. engaging in musical duels with) other bands.

Foster’s first recordings were probably accompanying Sunnyland Slim on a 1947 session for the Opera label, although this may have been recorded in 1948. Further recordings followed, both under his own name and backing Sunnyland Slim, Muddy Waters, Little Walter and pianist Johnny Jones, before what is probably his most notable session, for the Parkway label in 1950.

This session featured more or less the personnel of Muddy Waters' band of the time: Foster, Waters, Little Walter and (on two tracks only, since he was late for the session), Jimmy Rogers. [Gordon, p. 99] Four singles were released from the session, two by Foster and two by Little Walter. One of the singles, the two-part "Rollin' and Tumblin'" was notable enough to be reviewed, unusually for a blues release, by Edward Myers in the "Chicago Defender". The track featured only Foster’s drumming and singing, Walter’s harmonica and Waters’ slide guitar, with ensemble vocals on one side. Unfortunately, Waters’ guitar playing was distinctive enough for it to come to the attention of Leonard Chess of Chess Records, who had Waters under an exclusive recording deal. As a result, Waters was made to record his own version of the song for the larger Chess label. [Rowe, p. 75]

After the Parkway session, Foster left Waters’ band, possibly in the hope of a solo career resulting from the releases on Parkway, but unfortunately the label soon folded. Afterwards, Foster recorded a further three sessions under his own name for the JOB label between 1950 and 1953, but died, possibly as a result of alcoholism, at the age of 35 in 1958.

Foster sang in a style influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson and Dr. Clayton, [Rowe, p. 74.] and while he played guitar and drums competently, the talents for which he was popular have been described as “drinking, singing and clowning”. [Rowe, p. 76.]

Citations

References

*Gordon, R (2002): "Can’t be Satisfied: the Life and Times of Muddy Waters". London, Jonathan Cape
*Rowe, M (1981): "Chicago Blues: the City and the Music". New York, Da Capo Press.