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Biography
Infobox musical artist|name = J. B. Lenoir|image = J B Lenoir.jpg|caption =|image_size =|birth_name = J. B. Lenoir|alias =|birth_date = birth date|mf=yes|1929|03|05|birth_place = Monticello, Mississippi , United States |death_date = death date and age|mf=yes|1967|04|29|1929|03|05|death_place = Urbana, Illinois , United States|instrument = Guitar , harmonica , Human voice|vocals |genre = Chicago blues , blues |occupation = Musician , singer-songwriter |years_active = 1950s–1967|label = Parrot Records (blues label)|Parrot , Chess Records|Chess , Checker Records|Checker , J.O.B. Records|J.O.B. , USA Records, Vee-Jay Records|Vee-Jay |associated_acts = Big Bill Broonzy , Memphis Minnie , Big Maceo Merriweather , Muddy Waters , Sonny Boy Williamson II , Elmore James , Sunnyland Slim , J. T. Brown |website =| notable_instruments =| background = solo_singer J. B. Lenoir /l?'n??r/ (March 5, 1929 & ndash; April 29, 1967) was an African American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter , active in the 1950s and 1960s Chicago blues scene.
Although his name is sometimes mispronounced like the French "lan WAH", Lenoir himself pronounced his name a "la NOR". The initials "J.B." had no specific meaning; his given name was simply "J.B."
In 1949, he moved to Chicago and Big Bill Broonzy helped introduce him to the local blues community. He began to perform at local nightclubs with musicians such as Memphis Minnie , Big Maceo Merriweather , and Muddy Waters , and became an important part of the city's blues scene. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php? id=8690 J.B. Lenoir at All About Jazz He began recording in 1951 the J.O.B. Records|J.O.B. and Chess Records labels. His recording of "Korea Blues" was licensed to and released by Chess Records|Chess ,Nigel Williamson, Rough Guide to the Blues , 2007, ISBN 1-84353-519-X as having been performed by 'J. B. and his Bayou Boys'. http://www.wirz.de/music/lenoifrm.htm Wirz.de His band included pianist Sunnyland Slim , guitarist "Baby Face" Leroy Foster|Leroy Foster , and drummer Alfred Wallace.
During the 1950s Lenoir recorded on various record labels in the Chicago area including J.O.B., Chess Records|Chess , Parrot Records (blues label)|Parrot , and Checker Records|Checker . His more successful songs included "Let's Roll", "The Mojo" featuring saxophonist J. T. Brown , and the controversial "Eisenhower Blues" which his record company, Parrot, forced him to re-record as "Tax Paying Blues."
Lenoir was known in the 1950s for his showmanship - in particular his zebra-patterned costumes - and his high-pitched vocals. He became an influential electric guitarist and songwriter, and his penchant for social commentary distinguished him from many other bluesmen of the time. His most commercially successful and enduring release was "Mamma Talk To Your Daughter", recorded for Parrot in 1954 which reached #11 on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Hot R& B/Hip-Hop Songs|R& B chart and was later recorded by many other blues and rock musicians. In the later 1950s (recording on the Checker label), he wrote several more blues standards including; "Don't Dog Your Woman", and "Don't Touch My Head!!!" (1956).
In 1963, Lenoir recorded for USA Records as 'J. B. Lenoir and his African Hunch Rhythm', developing an interest in African percussion. However, he struggled to work as a professional musician and for a time took menial jobs, including working in the kitchen at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois|Champaign .Citation needed|date=October 2009 Lenoir was rediscovered by Willie Dixon , who recorded him with drummer Fred Below on the albums Alabama Blues and Down In Mississippi (inspired by the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|Civil Rights and Free Speech Movement|Free Speech movements). Lenoir toured Europe, and performed in 1965 with the American Folk Blues Festival in the United Kingdom.cite book | first= Tony | last= Russell | year= 1997 | title= The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray | edition= | publisher= Carlton Books Limited | location= Dubai | pages= 133–134 | isbn= 1-85868-255-X
Lenoir's work had direct political content relating to racism and the Vietnam War .
Rquote|right|I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me,I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me,
You know they killed my sister and my brother,
And the whole world let them peoples go down there free.|"Alabama Blues", by J. B. Lenoir http://www.lyrics007.com/J.B.%20Lenoir%20Lyrics/Alabama%20Blues%20Lyrics.html Lyrics007.com - "Alabama Blues"
Death
He died on April 29, 1967 in Urbana, Illinois , aged 38, from a myocardial infarction|heart attack related to injuries he suffered in a car accident three weeks earlier. http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1960.html Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed November 2009
Legacy
His death was lamented by John Mayall in the songs, "I'm Gonna Fight for You, J.B." and "Death of J. B. Lenoir". http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-death-of-jb-lenoir-lyrics-john-mayall.html Lyrics - The Death Of J.B. Lenoir.
The 2003 documentary film The Soul of a Man , directed by Wim Wenders as the second instalment of Martin Scorsese 's series The Blues (film)|The Blues , explored Lenoir's career, together with those of Skip James and Blind Willie Johnson .
In 2011, Lenoir was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame . http://www.blues.org/halloffame/#ref=halloffame_inductees Blues.org
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.wirz.de/music/lenoir.htm Illustrated J. B. Lenoir discography
http://video.google.com/videosearch? q=%22j.b.+lenoir%22+-roy+-bowskill+-oberg+-brilleaux++-resonator+-ulmer+-%22electric+cover%22 J. B. Lenoir filmed performances
Persondata | NAME =Lenoir, J. B. | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = African American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter | DATE OF BIRTH =March 5, 1929 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Monticello, Mississippi , United States | DATE OF DEATH =April 29, 1967 | PLACE OF DEATH = Urbana, Illinois , United States DEFAULTSORT:Lenoir, J. B. Category:1929 births Category:1967 deaths Category:Chicago blues musicians Category:Electric blues musicians Category:American blues guitarists Category:American blues musicians Category:American blues singers Category:Blues musicians from Mississippi Category:American people of French descent Category:People from Lawrence County, Mississippi Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction
de:J. B. Lenoir el:J. B. Lenoir es:J. B. Lenoir fr:J.B. Lenoir it:J. B. Lenoir nl:J.B. Lenoir pt:J. B. Lenoir sv:J. B. Lenoir
Copyright Citations
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