Fenton Robinson

By: Terry Currier

Article Reprint from the May 1998 BluesNotes
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Fenton Robinson

In the 1950s, Chicago became the city of opportunity for Southern blacks who wanted to get away from plantation farm work. It was also an escape from prejudice and bigotry. Chicago offered a chance for a new life and a better opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Many musicians migrated there and the Chicago Blues scene quickly evolved. Before long, it became the new capitol of the Blues.

Post World War II Blues music was met with electricity. Acoustic Blues took a back seat — especially in Chicago. Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson (Alex Miller), and Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf) were some of the musicians making names for themselves in Chicago. If a person wanted to be a movie actor, it made sense to move to Hollywood. By the end of the 1950s, it made sense for young, black musicians to migrate to Chicago, and Fenton Robinson was one who did.

Born in Greenwood, Mississippi on September 23, 1935, Fenton grew up on a cotton and corn plantation. He built his first guitar from an empty wooden cigar box and wire when he was 11 years old. He learned to play by listening to songs he heard on jukeboxes and radio shows such as the King Biscuit Show. The sounds of Texas guitarist T-Bone Walker were an early influence on Fenton.

Around 1951, Fenton bought a Stella acoustic guitar for $13. He went to Memphis, Tennessee to take lessons from one of the city's best, Charles McGowan. Two years later, he moved there. Memphis had a vibrant music scene and he wanted to try and make a go of it with his talents.

Fenton joined Charles McGowan's band, The McGowan Brothers, and they played backup for Bobby "Blue" Bland. He also joined a band called The Castle Rockers and toured the Southern juke joint circuit. The Castle Rockers' popularity increased when they played on radio station WDIA, but the band fell apart after being together for only one year.

Fenton moved to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1954 and formed his own band, Fenton Robinson And The Castle Rockers. They also toured the juke joint circuit. In 1956, Fenton got his first opportunity in the studio when Roscoe Gordon used him in a Duke Records session. The following year, he made his own record, "Tennessee Woman," for the Duke subsidiary Meteor Records. His mentor, Charles McGowan, was in the band.

In 1957, Fenton formed a musical partnership with guitarist Larry Davis. Fenton played guitar and Larry predominantly played bass. Bobby "Blue" Bland brought them to the attention of Duke Records owner Don Robey, who signed both of them to record deals. Fenton cut multiple sides for Duke, including an instrumental called "Freeze" that a young Albert Collins had shopped to Duke but Robey had turned down. As it turned out, the Collins version came out a few weeks before Fenton's, on the Kangaroo label, and Fenton's did not make much of an impact. Over the next couple of years, he cut many singles for Duke, including an amazing version of Peppermint Harris' "As the Years Go Passing By." Davis and a young piano player from New Orleans named James Booker played on Fenton's sessions. These three also played on Davis' session of his classic song "Texas Flood," which was later brought to life again by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Chicago was calling, and in 1961, Fenton made the move. Feeling he had not reached his potential, Fenton enrolled in guitar lessons with Reggie Boyd, a talented studio musician and guitar teacher. Fenton picked up plenty of work playing as a sideman on recording sessions and playing gigs on the South side. His next solo recording session was in 1966 for the USA label; it was "Say You're Leaving Me" backed by "From My Heart To You." This was soon followed by "I Put my Baby In High Society" backed by "Rock Your Baby To Sleep" on the Giant label. These recordings had modest local success, but the following year, Fenton cut what would become known as his signature song, with B. B. King's band as his backing band. After "Somebody Loan Me A Dime" sold 150,000 copies locally, the Palos label was ready to promote the record nationally. Newly-pressed copies of the single were ready to be shipped around the country when a major snowstorm hit Chicago, and shipping was held up. When the storm was over, so was the interest in giving the record a national push. However, Fenton had already made a name for himself in Chicago.

The year was 1969 when ex-Steve Miller Band member Boz Scaggs released his first solo album. The song "Somebody Loan Me a Dime" appeared on it, with Duane Allman taking on the lead guitar lines. It was brilliantly played, but there was a major flaw: Boz Scaggs' name appeared on the writing credits instead of Fenton Robinson's name. It became a big hit for Boz, but Fenton was being robbed of his moment of fame, as well as the dollars that should have gone along with it. It resulted in a big legal battle, which Fenton eventually won. Fenton continued to record, and in 1968 he released a single for the Nashville-based Sound Stage / Seventy-Seven label. Then, in 1971, he recorded his first full-length album for them. He had hooked up with a rock backup band, and most of the lead parts were played by other people. Unfortunately, the album sounded horrible — and sales were horrible, too.

Fenton continued to tour with his band, and worked with the Charlie Musselwhite Band in 1971 and 1972. His saving grace came in 1974, after his contract with the Seventy-Seven label expired. It came in the form of Bruce Iglauer's newly formed Alligator Records. His Alligator debut marked just the fifth release for the label. It finally gave the rest of the world a chance to hear him play his signature song, "Somebody Loan Me A Dime" on the album of the same name. Fans and critics alike loved the album. It was soulful with an incredible horn-driven band backing him up. Both Fenton's vocals and guitar playing were at their best. It looked as if his career was going to take a positive swing. Then, a tragic incident occurred. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter from a car accident that had happened in 1969. The publicity, as well as his jail term in Joliet Penitentiary, Joliet, Illinois did not help his career. However, he was released on parole after serving only nine months because of good behavior and the incredible amount of mail the parole board received from his fans.

In 1977, Fenton released "I Hear Some Blues Downstairs" on Alligator Records. This record was good, but it was not up to the standard of his previous effort — although a few gems did shine through. The resulting sales were unspectacular, also. Fenton continued to play live, mostly in the Chicago area. It was not until 1984 that he recorded again, releasing an album for the Dutch Black Magic label entitled "Blues In Progress," which Alligator picked up in the United States and re-titled "Nightflight." Like its predecessor, it had great moments, but lacked the magic found on the "Somebody Loan Me A Dime" album. Again, sales were disappointing and the end result was a parting with Alligator.

Black Magic recorded Fenton again for a 1989 release entitled "Special Road." It suffered the same results as his previous two albums. Anyone who had ever seen and heard him play live up to this point knew he had it in him to make a great, over-the-top record. He had a wonderful baritone voice, he could generate some stellar guitar playing, and he had the ability to write good songs. But the combination of these three elements were not always there at the same time when he was putting a song together in the studio. When they were, it was magic. When they weren't, it just didn't work.

Fenton still played on a regular basis in the 1990s. Most of his shows lived up to his reputation, but once in a while even his live shows were inconsistent. This inconsistency occurred in about 1994 at our own Portland Waterfront Blues Festival.

Fenton Robinson died on November 25, 1997 in Rockford, Illinois of complications from brain cancer. I never had the opportunity to see him play live after the Waterfront Blues Festival gig, and he never recorded again. The Japanese called him the "Mellow Blues Genius." If you listen to the wonderful "Somebody Loan Me A Dime" album from 1984, you will understand why he will surely be missed.

Fenton Robinson

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