- Mighty Sam McClain
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Mighty Sam McClain (born 1943, Monroe, Louisiana, United States) is an American Grammy nominated soul blues singer and songwriter.[1]
Contents
Life and career
As a five year old, he began singing in his mother's Gospel Church. McClain left home when he was thirteen and followed local R&B guitarist, Little Melvin Underwood through the Chitlin' circuit, first as his valet and then as lead vocalist himself at 15.[1]
While singing at the 506 Club in Pensacola, Florida he was introduced to the record producer and DJ, "Papa Don" Schroeder and in 1966, McClain recorded a cover version of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams". Several recording sessions at Muscle Shoals produced the further singles, "Fannie-May" and "In the Same Old Way".[1] For fifteen years, first in Nashville, Tennessee, then in New Orleans, McClain worked at menial jobs. McClain toured and recorded in Japan in 1989. The end product, Live in Japan, featured Wayne Bennett.
By the early 1990s, McClain relocated to New England through his participation in the "Hubert Sumlin Blues Party" project.[1] This led to Joe Harley and AudioQuest Music. The results were the successful releases,Give It Up To Love and Keep On Movin'. After his move to New Hampshire, then followed Sledgehammer Soul and Down Home Blues.[1] In 1998 McClain had two releases, Journey and Joy & Pain on the CrossCut Records label. Soul Survivor: The Best of Mighty Sam McClain was his farewell to AudioQuest in 1999. McClain signed on with the Telarc Blues in 1999, taking his longtime producer Joe Harley with him, and recorded the Blues Music Award nominated Blues for the Soul (2000) and Sweet Dreams (2001).[1]
In 1996 McClain formed McClain Productions after successfully co-producing his albums with Joe Harley. He also created his own record label, Mighty Music, which released One More Bridge To Cross in February 2003. Betcha Didn't Know was issued in July 2009 on Mighty Music.[1] It was nominated by the Blues Association as 'Soul/Blues Album 2010'.
In 2008, McClain joined the 'Give US Your Poor' project, benefiting the homeless. He also co-wrote with the saxophonist Scott Shetler, "Show Me the Way". He continues to work with this project, performing at both the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, and at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and other venues, sharing the stage with Natalie Merchant, and Mario Frangoulis. In early 2009, McClain recorded an album of duets with the Iranian folk singer, Mahsa Vadhat. The resulting album, Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations reached #6 in the European World Music Chart.[citation needed]
McClain and the guitarist for this project, Knut Reiersrud, collaborated on One Drop is Plenty that was recorded in Norway in January 2011. Also, McClain sung the theme song for the film, Time and Charges. "Find the Sun" was written by Thompson and Joe Deleault, and McClain appeared in a cameo role in the film singing the song. McClain has recorded another album, Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey).
Discography
Title Release Record label Your Perfect Companion 1986 Orleans Records Live in Japan 1988 Orleans Records Give It Up To Love[2] 1992 Sledgehammer Blues Keep On Movin[3] 1995 Sledgehammer Blues Sledgehammer Soul and Down Home Blues'[4] 1996 Sledgehammer Blues Journey[5] 1998 Sledgehammer Blues Joy & Pain 1998 Ruf Soul Survivor: The Best of Mighty Sam McClain[6] 1999 Sledgehammer Blues Blues For The Soul 2000 Telarc Distribution Sweet Dreams 2001 Telarc Distribution One More Bridge To Cross 2003 Mighty Music Betcha Didn't Know 2009 Mighty Music Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations[7] 2010 Kirkelig Kulturverksted/Valley Entertainment One Drop Is Plenty[8] with Knut Reiersrud 2011 Kirkelig Kulturverksted/Valley Entertainment References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Biography by Richard Skelly". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p103338/biography. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ "Give It Up To Love'". Valley Entertainment. http://www.valley-entertainment.com/give-it-up-to-love-2.html. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Keep On Movin'". Valley Entertainment. http://www.valley-entertainment.com/keep-on-movin-1.html. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Sledgehammer Soul and Down Home Blues". Valley Entertainment. http://www.valley-entertainment.com/sledgehammer-soul-and-down-home-blues-1.html. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Journey". Valley Entertainment. http://www.valley-entertainment.com/journey-1.html. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Soul Survivor: The Best of Mighty Sam McClain". Valley Entertainment. http://www.valley-entertainment.com/soul-survivor.html. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations". Valley Entertainment. http://www.valley-entertainment.com/scent-of-reunion-love-duets-across-civilizations.html. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "One Drop Is Plenty". Valley Entertainment. http://www.valley-entertainment.com/one-drop-is-plenty-2.html. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
External links
Categories:- 1943 births
- Living people
- Louisiana blues musicians
- Soul-blues musicians
- Songwriters from Louisiana
- American male singers
- American blues singers
- Electric blues musicians
- People from Monroe, Louisiana
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