From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sun Sep 22, 2002  2:05 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Tiny Bradshaw

TINY BRADSHAW

Born Myron Bradshaw, 23 September 1905, Youngstown, Ohio
Died 26 November 1958, Cincinnati, Ohio

Vocalist / bandleader / drummer / pianist.
Tiny Bradshaw really had a two-part career, in the 1930's in swing and from
the mid-1940's on as a best-selling r&b artist. He majored in psychology at
Wilberforce University but chose music as his career. Bradshaw sang early on
with Horace Henderson's Orchestra (in addition to playing drums), Marion
Hardy's Alabamians, the Savoy Bearcats, The Mills Blue Rhythm Band and Luis
Russell. In 1934 he put together his own orchestra and they recorded eight
spirited numbers for Decca later that year. When Bradshaw's big band recorded
again, in 1944, the music was more r&b and jump-oriented. The majority of
Bradshaw's recordings were cut during 1950-54, although there would be one
session apiece made in 1955 and 1958.
All of his post-1947 output was made for King including the seminal "Train
Kept A-Rollin'" in 1951. For several decades, that song became a staple of
numerous garage bands along with notable recorded versions by Johnny
Burnette in the fifties, The Yardbirds in the sixties and Aerosmith in the
seventies. In 1954 Bradshaw suffered the first of two strokes, the second
would be two years later. He spent the next few years recovering in a Florida
hospital. In the meantime King tried to keep his name from disappearing
altogether by releasing a single made up of previous sessions. By early
1958, Bradshaw slowly returned to touring and leading his band. A final
single was released by King, "Bushes" backed with "Short Shorts" which
failed to gain any interest. Essentially Tiny Bradshaw's career was over.
The record buying public, led by teenagers, had already discovered Little
Richard, Chuck Berry and Elvis. While trying to make the transistion to
the rock and roll market, Bradshaw passed away of a third stroke on
November 26, 1958 at his home in Cincinatti. He was 53 years old.
Bradshaw is remembered not only as a fine jump blues shouter, but a
bandleader who employed some of the greatest jazz players as sidemen
along the way including Shad Collins, Russell Procope and Happy Caldwell
(all in 1934), Sonny Stitt (who recorded with Bradshaw in 1944), Big Nick
Nicholas, Red Prysock, Bill Hardman and Sil Austin.
(From All Music Guide.)

More info: http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/TinyBrad.html
CD's: The Chronological Tiny Bradshaw, 1934-1947 (Classics CD 5011).
Walk That Mess! : The Best of the King Years - Westside WESA 824
(24 tracks, released 1999).