Remembering the Organist and Pianist Bill Doggett on his Birthday
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by John Funke / Backwoods, Saturdays 10 am – noon
Coming from the world of jazz and swing, Bill Doggett was responsible for Honky Tonk, one of the biggest hits of the rock ‘n’ roll era. Born in Philadelphia in 1916, Doggett’s talents as a pianist and arranger kept him busy working for Lucky Millinder, the Ink Spots, and Louis Jordan, among others. In 1951 Doggett, having mastered the Hammond organ, formed a trio and began recording for King Records in Cincinnati. In 1956 Doggett’s recording of Honky Tonk, a loping rhythm and blues instrumental co-written with guitarist Billy Butler, became a massive hit, selling over 4 million copies and topping both the R&B and pop charts. The song has endured, becoming a rhythm and blues standard with Billy Butler’s guitar solo and Clifford Scott’s saxophone solo remaining textbook examples of the genre.
Other hits followed and Doggett kept recording and touring until his death in 1996. No matter when or where, Honky Tonk always brought the good times as evidenced by this TV performance from Paris in 1972.
And of course Bill Doggett can always be heard on WMBR every Saturday morning providing the theme music for that annoying radio show, Backwoods. Don’t mention that name!
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Remembering the Legendary Bluesman Magic Sam on His Birthday
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by John Funke / Backwoods, Saturdays 10 am – noon
Today we celebrate Magic Sam‘s birthday. His gospel-influenced vocals and raw, propulsive guitar playing set a new standard for electric blues that remains to this day. Born in Grenada County, Mississippi in 1937, Sam Maghett eventually moved to Chicago and began playing in clubs in 1956. Along with Otis Rush and Buddy Guy, Sam developed a style combining soaring vocals and fiery guitar playing that became known as the West Side Sound. Recording singles for Cobra Records in 1957, Sam cut the first version of his classic All Your Love along with 21 Days in Jail, a storming slice of black rockabilly.
Sam broke through to a wider audience with the release of West Side Soul on Delmark Records in 1968. A classic album that has become a cornerstone of many a blues collection, West Side Soul is a hot session that showcases Magic Sam’s modern approach to a set of covers, his rocking version of Sweet Home Chicago is definitive.
Gaining acclaim with performances on college campuses and at blues festivals, Sam was poised for further popularity when he died in December 1969, felled by a heart attack. We’re fortunate to have a filmed interview and performance from Sam’s tour with the American Folk Blues Festival in Germany from 1969. His humility, good looks, and awesome talent are on full display conjuring a star power that shone too briefly. Happy Birthday Magic Sam!
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Remembering Soul Singer Extraordinaire Otis Clay
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by John Funke / Backwoods, Saturdays 10 am – noon
Born in Mississippi where he began singing with various gospel groups, Otis Clay eventually signed with One-derful! Records in Chicago releasing some fine hard soul singles during the 1960s. He had his greatest success with the guidance of legendary producer Willie Mitchell at Hi Records in Memphis in 1972 and, in 1992, he paid a visit to the WMBR studios, interviewed by David Herwaldt on the Out of the Blues program. Still performing and recording until his death in 2016, Otis Clay will be remembered as a gentleman of soul and substance. Here he is on Soul Train singing his biggest hit, later recorded by Bob Seger, Trying to Live My Life Without You.
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