Boogie Bill Webb

Boogie Bill Webb
Born	March 24, 1924(1924-03-24) Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Died	August 22, 1990(1990-08-22) (aged 66) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genres	Louisiana blues, R&B, country blues, electric blues[1]
Occupations	Guitarist, singer, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1947–1990
Labels	Imperial, Flying Fish

Boogie Bill Webb (March 24, 1924 – August 22, 1990)^[2] was an American Louisiana blues and R&B guitarist, singer and songwriter. Webb's own style of music combined Mississippi country blues with New Orleans R&B.^[1] His best known recordings were "Bad Dog" and "Drinkin' and Stinkin'".^[2] Despite a lengthy, albeit stuttering, career, Webb nevertheless only released one album.^[1]

Biography

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Webb's first guitar at the age of eight was stringed with screen wire and made from a cigar box.^[1] His greatest influence was Tommy Johnson.^[3] With a real guitar obtained whist a teenager, in 1947 Webb won a talent show, and subsequently briefly appeared in the musical film, The Jackson Jive, before settling in New Orleans in 1952.^[1]

Webb obtained a recording contract with Imperial Records, after his friendship with Fats Domino led to his introduction to Dave Bartholomew.^[3] In 1953 Webb released his debut single, "Bad Dog," a non commercial slice of country boogie-woogie. Frustrated by lack of recognition, Webb relocated to Chicago, where he worked in various factories.^[1] In Chicago, Webb met and sat in with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, and Chuck Berry.^[4]

Webb returned to New Orleans in 1959 to work as a stevedore, performing music infrequently. However, in 1968 he recorded several songs for the folklorist David Evans, which eventually appeared on the Arhoolie Records album Roosevelt Holts and His Friends.^[3] The 1972 compilation album, The Legacy of Tommy Johnson contained five tracks performed by Webb.^[5]

A combination of the exposure at home and in Europe led to visits to Webb from blues fans, and invitations to tour. In 1982 Webb appeared at the Dutch Utrecht Festival.^[1] Finally in 1989, with financial assistance from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Webb released Drinkin' and Stinkin'.^[1] His experience of encountering three drunken women, who had been out drinking for three days without bathing, inspired the lyrics for the title track of the album.^[6]

Boogie Bill Webb died in New Orleans in August 1990, at the age of 66.^[2]

Discography

Albums

• Drinkin' and Stinkin' (1989) - Flying Fish Records^[7]

Compilation albums

• The Blues of Snooks Eaglin & Boogie Bill Webb (2004)
• The Blues of Robert Lockwood Jr. & Boogie Bill Webb (2004) - Storyville Records

Filmography

Films

• The Jackson Jive (1947)

DVDs

• Blues of Boogie Bill Webb (2002) - Storyville^[8][9]

See also

• List of people from Mississippi
• List of electric blues musicians
• List of Louisiana blues musicians

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Ankeny, Jason. "Boogie Bill Webb". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p568/biography. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Thedeadrockstarsclub.com (1990) - accessed May 2010
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Big Road Blues". Sundayblues.org. http://sundayblues.org/archives/tag/boogie-bill-webb. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
4. ^ Evans, David (2002). Big Road Blues: Tradition and creativity in the folk blues (1st ed.). Berkeley, California: University of California Press. p. 117. ISBN 0-520-03484-8. 
5. ^ Wirz.de/music - accessed May 2010
6. ^ Evans, David (2002). Big Road Blues: Tradition and creativity in the folk blues (1st ed.). Berkeley, California: University of California Press. p. 132. ISBN 0-520-03484-8. 
7. ^ "Allmusic ((( Bill "Boogie Bill" Webb > Discography > Main Albums )))". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p568/discography. 
8. ^ "Allmusic ((( Bill "Boogie Bill" Webb > Discography > DVDs & Videos )))". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p568/discography/dvds-videos. 
9. ^ Lovefilm.com - accessed May 2010

Persondata
Name	Webb, Boogie Bill
Alternative names
Short description	American Louisiana blues and R&B guitarist, singer and songwriter
Date of birth	March 24, 1924
Place of birth	Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Date of death	August 22, 1990
Place of death	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States