James Bracken

James C. Bracken (May 23 1909 - February 20 1972) was an African American songwriter and the co-founder and co-owner of Vee-Jay Records with his wife Vivian and her brother, Calvin Carter.

Life

Bracken was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Kansas City. He was living in Chicago when he met Vivian Carter in 1944. In 1950 they founded Vivian's Record Shop in Gary, Indiana, and three years later decided to start their own record company, which they named Vee-Jay from their initials [ [http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/veejay.html Vee-Jay] ] . As well as producing and releasing records through his label, Bracken also wrote some of the songs recorded. During the 1950s and early 1960s Vee-Jay became a major independent record label with acts including Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, The Four Seasons and, for a time, The Beatles. The company folded in 1966.

Bracken died in Los Angeles in 1972 [ [http://www.bsnpubs.com/veejay/veejaystory3.html The Vee-Jay Story, Page 3 ] ] .

ongwriting

In the late 50s to early 60s, Bracken formed a casual writing partnership with influential blues singer John Lee Hooker, and together they wrote songs for Hooker to perform and record. Products of this partnership include "Baby Lee", "Dimples", "Little Wheel" and "Kiss The Girls". Bracken also wrote songs for Jimmy Reed, including "High and Lonesome" which was credited to Reed himselfFact|date=August 2007.

Probably the most widely recognized of Bracken's solo compositions is the instrumental track "Steppin' Out", which was covered by Eric Clapton while with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and later by Cream (of which Clapton was a part) in a 14 minute version released on their live album "Live Cream Volume II".

References