Jimmy Reed
Written by Terry Currier Tuesday, 30 June 2009 20:56
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By: Terry Currier
Article Reprint from the December 1993 BluesNotes
Blues music originated in America with the Blacks who lived in the South at the turn of the 20th century. It grew out of songs and field hollers of the slaves of the pre-Civil War era. Elements can be traced back to Africa but the metamorphose of the Blues happened in the United States. It began as a musical art form within the Black communities of the South. Today, it is found all over the world, among all races and cultures. The actual birthplace of the Blues will be argued forever. The popular answer is that it began in the Delta area, a region extending Southward from Memphis, Tennessee to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, along the Mississippi River. One of the prominent Bluesmen to come from this region was James Mathis Reed, better known to his fans as Jimmy Reed.
Reed was born in Dunleith, Mississippi on September 6, 1925. His parents, Joseph Reed and Virginia Ross were sharecroppers on a plantation owned by a man named Johnny Collier. There were ten children in the family and as with most Black children who lived on a farm, he went to work on the farm when he was quite young. At this time, Blues music was at one of its most popular periods. It was a big part of the Black culture and Reed was surrounded by it. By the time he was seven he was already on his way to mastering the guitar and he began to learn harmonica. He once befriended Eddie Taylor, a boy several years older. Eddie then helped Jimmy better himself on guitar. Their friendship would prove to last a lifetime.
When he was 13, Jimmy dropped out of school to work on a farm in Duncan, Mississippi. He had only three years of formal education at the time. The following year, he moved to Meltonia, Mississippi to find farm work. He kept active singing and playing when not at work. He also sang in the choir at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. In 1943, he moved North. Like many Blacks from the South, he hoped to find a new life, leaving the exhausting, poor paying farm life behind. He landed in Chicago, worked various jobs and then enlisted in the US Navy.
In 1945, Reed moved back to Dunleith, Mississippi, where he married Mary Lee Davis. They moved North in 1948, this time to Gary, Indiana. He found a job at the Valley Mould Iron Foundry, Shortly after he was hired, he decided his calling in life was music. He spent every free moment, including lunch breaks, practicing and perfecting his talents. He also started writing his own songs, many with his wife. Reed frequently worked with guitarist John Brims' band, The Gary Kings.
The decision to quit work and make a living solely off playing music came in 1950. He worked on the streets of Chicago, clubs, lounges and juke joints. He took any gig he could get. Vee Jay Records signed him in 1953. Over the next 12 years he recorded exclusively on Vee Jay. He became one of the most popular Blues artists in the country with such hits as "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Bright Lights, Big City", "Going To New York", "Shame, Shame, Shame" and dozens more. Several of his songs are considered Blues standards and can be found in many Blues artist's repertoire. A number of them were co-written with his wife, Mary.
Throughout the 1950's, Reed enlisted the talents of his friend, Eddie Taylor on many of his recordings and live performances. As his popularity grew, so did the area he played. He no longer concentrated on the Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan circuit. He toured extensively across the United States, playing clubs, auditoriums and colleges from coast to coast. He even ventured into Mexico. In between all the touring, he found time to have nine children and play on several recordings of his friend, John Lee Hooker.
In about 1957, Reed was diagnosed as having epilepsy. Seizures were rare at first, but as the years went by, the attacks became more frequent. This, however, did not stop him from touring. In 1963, he made his first tour to England and appeared on the pop music show, "Ready, Steady, Go" on BBC-TV.
Reed's recording career with Vee Jay Records ended in 1964. While with Vee Jay, he recorded 14 albums and had many hit singles, mostly on the Race Music and R&B charts. In 1964, he recorded an album on Vidid, and it was released in 1965. He recorded an album on ABC-Bluesway in 1966. He returned to England in 1968 and toured Europe as part of the American Folk Blues Festival. After that, he became quite ill and his performances were almost non-existent for a couple of years.
Reed resumed playing and recording in 1970. He went on tour with Clifton Chenier and made a record on the Roker label in Chicago. He recorded for the Blues On Blues label in 1971, for the Magic label out of Chicago in 1972, and again on ABC-Bluesway in 1973. Reed made several recordings on ABC-Bluesway during the next year. He continued to tour, but slowed way down during the next couple of years. On August 29, 1976 in Oakland, California, while on tour, Jimmy suffered an epileptic seizure. He died in his sleep of respiratory failure. Jimmy was buried at the Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois.
Reed's music will live on. His style and songs are a major influence on many of today's Blues musicians. He was a great singer / songwriter / guitarist / harp player, and he will be remembered among the Blues greats!