Bob Kirkpatrick (musician)
| Bob Kirkpatrick | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 10, 1934[1] Haynesville, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Texas blues, electric blues[2] |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | Folkways, JSP, Topcat, Smithsonian Folkways |
Bob Kirkpatrick (born January 10, 1934)[1] is an American Texas blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, whose recorded work has been released on three albums.[2]
One commentator noted that Kirkpatrick's 1996 album, Going Back to Texas, "is a charming record. Kirkpatrick has a classy, jazzy guitar style and he leads his band through a set of originals and covers, putting an attractive, swinging spin on the music."[3] Kirkpatrick was primarily influenced by B.B. King.[2]
Biography
Kirkpatrick was born in Haynesville, Louisiana, United States.[2] He became interested in music at an early age, learning to play the piano and later the guitar. He was drafted in 1953,[1] and fought in the Korean War until he was discharged in 1955.[4] Back home he enrolled at Grambling College,[4] and he backed Ivory Joe Hunter during this time.[2] But it was his attendance at a B.B. King concert in 1958 that led to Kirkpatrick pursuing blues music, albeit primarily as a part-time musician due to his daily working life. Kirkpatrick had previously settled in Dallas, Texas and, in 1968, declined the opportunity to back Bobby Bland on tour, preferring to remain at home with his young family. He continued to play locally in clubs.[2]
He played three times at the Newport Folk Festival,[1] with his debut appearance occurring in 1970.[2] His performances there were assisted by his brother, who was on the board of directors of the Festival.[4] His debut recording was Feeling the Blues (1973), issued on Folkways Records.[2] Scarely promoted, Kirkpatrick later remarked, "I don't think it added anything of significance to my career."[4] The album included his cover version of B.B. King's blues standard, "Sweet Little Angel".[5] Continuing to work for various federal agencies, he also held a weekend residency at Elks Lodge in south Dallas for 16 years,[2] before his retirement from work with the United States Department of Agriculture in May 1986.[1][4]
From that time onwards, Kirkpatrick increased his regional club performances.[1] He recorded Going Back to Texas in 1996, his first release in 23 years.[2] In late 1997, he followed this with a lengthy tour across the UK, Ireland and France.[4]
In 2000, Drive Across Texas was released on Topcat Records.[2]
In 2012, Smithsonian Folkways re-issued Feeling the Blues.[2]
Discography
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Feeling the Blues[6] | Folkways Records |
| 1996 | Going Back to Texas[3] | JSP Records |
| 2000 | Drive Across Texas[7] | Topcat Records |
| 2012 | Feeling the Blues (re-issue)[8] | Smithsonian Folkways |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bob Kirkpatrick Interview". Bluesdfw.com. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Skelly, Richard (1934-01-01). "Bob Kirkpatrick - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- 1 2 Owens, Thom (1996-05-07). "Going Back to Texas - Bob Kirkpatrick : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tim Schuller (1998-01-22). "Behind the lines - Music - Dallas". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- ↑ "Recording: Sweet Little Angel - Bob Kirkpatrick". Second Hand Songs. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- ↑ "Smithsonian Folkways - Feeling the Blues - Bob Kirkpatrick". Folkways.si.edu. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- ↑ "Drive Across Texas - Bob Kirkpatrick : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. 2000-08-01. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- ↑ "Feeling the Blues - Bob Kirkpatrick : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-22.