L. C. McKinley (October 22, 1918 – January 19, 1970)[2][1][3] was an American Chicago blues guitarist. He worked with Eddie Boyd and Ernest Cotton. A performer in the Chicago blues scene, McKinley's major output was as a session musician on recordings made mostly in the 1950s.[2]
L. C. McKinley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Luke C. McKinley[1] |
| Born | October 22, 1918 Winona, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | January 19, 1970 (aged 51) East Chicago, Indiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Chicago blues[2] |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | Late 1940s–early 1960s |
He also released a number of singles on various record labels.[2] His best-known tracks include "Weeping Willow Blues" and "Nit Wit." His guitar playing was influenced by T-Bone Walker.[4]
Biography edit
He was born Luke C. McKinley[1] in Winona, Mississippi, United States.[2] According to the United States Census in 1940, he was living in Vaiden, Mississippi, with his wife, Bessie, and two sons.[5] He relocated to Chicago in 1941.[2] He began to find work and by 1947 had started to play professionally in the Chicago area.[2][6] By the early 1950s, he was a regular performer at the 708 Club, where he variously topped the bill or played accompaniment in the first half of 1954 with the Ernest Cotton Trio.[6]
He began working with Eddie Boyd in the early 1950s. In 1952, McKinley and Cotton backed Boyd on the latter's recording of "Five Long Years",[2] which reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart.[7] McKinley also undertook recording sessions with several of Chicago's better-known blues musicians, including Curtis Jones.[2] In 1953 he recorded for Parrot Records, but these recordings were not released.[8] He signed with States Records in January 1954, which issued his "Companion Blues" later that year.[6]
In 1955, McKinley signed a recording contract with Vee-Jay Records,[8] which issued his single "Strange Girl", backed with "She's Five Feet Three", in the same year.[9] Other tracks he recorded in that period, which were unissued at that time, included "Blue Evening", "Down with It", "Rosalie Blues", "Disgusted", and "Tortured Blues".[6][10] In 1959, Bea & Baby Records released his single "Nit Wit".[6]
McKinley made his last recordings in 1964, which were released on the Sunnyland label in the UK.[4]
After leaving the music industry, he worked as a presser for a dry cleaning company in East Chicago, Indiana.[6]
McKinley died in East Chicago, Indiana, on January 19, 1970, aged 51.[1] His cause of death is unknown.
Discography edit
Singles edit
| Year | A-side | B-side | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | "Companion Blues"[11] | "Weeping Willow Blues" | States |
| 1955 | "Strange Girl"[12] | "She's Five Feet Three"[13] | Vee-Jay |
| 1955 | "Lonely"[14] | "I'm So Satisfied"[15] | Vee-Jay |
| 1959 | "Nit Wit"[16] | "Sharpest Man in Town"[4] | Bea & Baby |
| 1964 | "Mind Your Business"[6] | "So Strange" | Sunnyland |
Compilation albums edit
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Chicago Blues in the Groove[17] | P-Vine Records |
| 2002 | Vee Jay Screaming Blues Guitar[18] | P-Vine Records |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Illustrated L.C. McKinley discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Leggett, Steve. "L.C. McKinley – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Rock, Doc. "The Dead Rock Stars Club – The 1970s". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ a b c "L.C. McKinley Sharpest Man in Town". Speedylive.net. 1969-01-19. Archived from the original on 2013-04-13. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ "L C McKinley in the 1940 Census". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g "WangDangDula.com". Koti.mbnet.fi. 2010-05-08. Archived from the original on 2015-05-04. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Record Research. p. 52. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.
- ^ a b "Vee-Jay Records | Big Road Blues". Sundayblues.org. 2008-09-14. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ "L C McKinley* – Strange Girl / She's Five Feet Three (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ "The United and States Labels Part II (1954–1957)". Hubcap.clemson.edu. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Billboard – Google Books. 1954-02-20. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Billboard –. Nielsen Business Media. 1955-03-26. p. 142. Retrieved 2013-03-14 – via Internet Archive.
L. C. McKinley.
- ^ "She's Five Feet Three (AKA Brown Skin Baby) – L.C. McKinley: Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Billboard – Google Books. 1955-11-12. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Billboard – Google Books. 1955-11-19. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Billboard –. Nielsen Business Media. 1959-10-26. p. 48. Retrieved 2013-03-14 – via Internet Archive.
L. C. McKinley.
- ^ "Chicago Blues in the Groove (1982)". Plixid.com. 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Leggett, Steve (2002-12-03). "Vee Jay Screaming Blues Guitar". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
External links edit
- McKinley discography Archived 2015-05-04 at the Wayback Machine