Memphis Slim

Learning his trade in the Tennessee honky tonks and juke joints of the 1930s, Memphis Slim went on to play with Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and became one of the finest blues pianists of his generation. Raised in Memphis, John Chatman settled in Chicago in 1939, where he acquired his nickname and quickly integrated himself into the vibrant blues and jazz scene. He was recorded by folklorist Alan Lomax in the mid-1940s and his classic track Every Day I Have The Blues became one of the great standards of the genre, covered by B.B. King, Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald and Jimi Hendrix, ultimately resulting in the award of two Grammys. Known for great blues boogies such as Mother Earth, Gotta Find My Friend, Grinder Man Blues and Lend Me Your Love, Slim struck up a legendary partnership with guitarist Matt Murphy and, during the 1960s American folk boom, toured Europe with Willie Dixon. It led him to move to Paris, where he spent the rest of his life playing smoky bar-rooms, releasing the odd record through French label Maison De Blues. He was named Commander in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1986 (a great honour given by the French government), but died two years later of renal failure aged 72.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.