Doctor Ross

Doctor Ross
Birth name	Charles Isaiah Ross
Born	October 21, 1925(1925-10-21) Tunica, Mississippi, United States
Died	May 28, 1993(1993-05-28) (aged 67)
Genres	Detroit blues
Occupations	Singer, guitarist, harmonica player, drummer, one-man band
Instruments	Harmonica, drums
Years active	1951–1993

Doctor Ross (October 21, 1925 – May 28, 1993^[1]), aka Doctor Ross, the harmonica boss, was an American blues singer, guitarist, harmonica player and drummer — a one-man band^[2] — who was born Charles Isaiah Ross, in Tunica, Mississippi.^[2]

Ross played various forms of the blues that have seen him compared to John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson I, and is perhaps best known for the recordings he made for Sun Records in the 1950s, notably "The Boogie Disease" and "Chicago Breakdown".

Biography

In 1951 Ross began to be heard on Mississippi and Arkansas radio stations, now nicknamed Doctor because of his habit of carrying his harmonicas in a black bag that resembled a doctor's bag. Over the next three years he recorded in Memphis, Tennessee for both Chess and Sun, creating exhilarating harmonica or guitar boogies made distinctive by his sidemen playing washboard (with a spoon and fork) and broom.^[2]

In 1954 Ross took a job with General Motors in Flint, Michigan, and reduced his playing.^[2] He released a string of 45s on the Detroit-based Fortune Records. Some singles, among them his first true one-man band effort, "Industrial Boogie", filtered into blues circles, leading to a Testament Records album and a 1965 American Folk Blues Festival booking in Europe.^[2]

While in London he recorded what would be the first LP on Blue Horizon Records.^[2] In 1972 he recorded for Ornament Records during a German tour.^[3] Europe loved Ross and gave him work and recording opportunities; he was never as popular at home, and in the 1980s his performing profile was barely visible.^[2]

Ross won a Grammy for his 1981 album Rare Blues, and subsequently enjoyed a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim towards the end of his career.

He died in 1993, at the age of 67, and was buried in Flint, Michigan.

See also

• List of Delta blues musicians
• List of Country blues musicians
• List of Juke Joint blues musicians
• List of Detroit blues musicians

References

1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. Allmusic biography
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues - From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. pp. 163. ISBN 1-85868-255-X. 
3. ^ Wirz, Stefan (January 8, 2010). "Ornament Discography". American Music. http://www.wirz.de/music/ornament.htm. Retrieved January 30, 2010. 

External links

• Ross biography at Allmusic website
• Illustrated Doctor Ross discography
• Works by or about Doctor Ross in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Persondata
Name	Ross, Doctor
Alternative names	Ross, Charles Isaiah
Short description	American blues singer, guitarist, harmonica player and drummer
Date of birth	October 21, 1925
Place of birth	Tunica, Mississippi, United States
Date of death	May 28, 1993
Place of death