From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Fri Sep 6, 2002  1:18 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Jimmy Reed
 
JIMMY REED (By Shaun Mather)

Born Mathis James Reed, 6 September 1925, Dunleith, Mississippi
Died 29 August 1976, Oakland, California

The loping blues boogie beat of Jimmy Reed gave the old adage "If it
ain't broke, don't fix it" new mileage as he recorded a string of relentless
boogies, many of which have become staples of most modern bands repertoires.
"Baby, What You Want Me to Do," "Bright Lights, Big City," "Ain't That
Lovin' You Baby," and "Big Boss Man" have been covered by everyone from
Elvis Presly to the Rolling Stones and Charlie Rich to Lou Rawls. Not that
he had to rely on others to chart with his songs, the public were fairly
enamoured by his lazy vocals and he charted (pop) more times than virtually
any other blues artist.

After being taught the harmonica and guitar from his mate Eddie Taylor down
in Mississippi, Reed moved up to Chicago in 1943, but was drafted into the
Navy soon after. On discharge he relocated to Gary, IN, and played the
blues joints around Gary and Chicago. He failed an audition with Chess
Records before joining the newly formed Vee-Jay Records. He was reunited
with Eddie Taylor with whom he played off and on until Reed's death. His
success bought him pressures he was ill-equipped to deal with and he soon
became a hopeless alcoholic.

He placed 12 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts (1957-63) and 19 on
the R&B charts, a remarkable figure for such a rudimentary sound. After Vee-Jay
Records went out of business he signed with another new label, ABC-Bluesway
and released a handful of albums in the '70s. Suffering from epilepsy for many
years and with his drink problems, he died trying to make a comeback on
the blues festival circuit in the summer of 1976.

Recommended listening:
The EP Collection (See For Miles)
Blues Masters : The Very Best Of Jimmy Reed (Rhino) 17 Vee-Jay tracks.
The Vee-Jay Years - Charly box set.
For the Reed fanatic, there is also a 10-CD box-set on Collectables (Big Boss
Man)