Boyd Gilmore
| Boyd Gilmore | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 1, 1905 Inverness, Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States |
| Died |
December 23, 1976 (aged 71) Fresno, California, United States |
| Genres | Delta blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, guitarist, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar[1] |
| Years active | Early 1950s–1976 |
| Labels | Modern Records, Sun Records |
Boyd Gilmore (June 1, 1905 – December 23, 1976)[2] was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. Amongst the songs he wrote were "All in My Dreams", "Believe I'll Settle Down", "I Love My Little Woman" and "If That's Your Girl". Gilmore also recorded a version of fellow Delta bluesman Robert Johnson's track, "Ramblin' on My Mind".[3]
He could play guitar, although there is no recorded evidence of his work on that instrument. According to AllMusic, he was "an exuberant singer".[1]
Biography
Gilmore was born near Inverness, Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States.[2]
He recorded "Ramblin' on My Mind" on January 23, 1952 at Casablanca Lounge in Greenville, Mississippi. Gilmore supplied the vocals and he was backed by Ike Turner on piano and Jesse "Cleanhead" Love on drums.[2] The track was released on Modern Records, with "Just An Army Boy" on the B-side. At the same session, Gilmore recorded several other songs, which included "All in My Dreams" and "Take A Little Walk With Me". Although James Scott Jnr., supplied the original guitar work, his part fell victim to early recording technology, as an introduction and guitar break from Elmore James' "Please Find My Baby", was later spliced into "All in My Dreams".[1][2] "All in My Dreams" and "Take A Little Walk With Me" were issued by Modern as a single. In July 1953, in Memphis, Tennessee, Gilmore recorded "Believe I'll Settle Down", accompanied by Pinetop Perkins on piano, Earl Hooker on guitar and Willie Nix on drums. This was for Sun Records, but rather like some of his earlier cuts, it was not released at the time.[1][2]
After his short-lived recording career, Gilmore performed in juke joints in the Delta for a while. He also played regularly in both St. Louis, Missouri, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, during which period he spent time living in a boarded-up abandoned house.[2] During his spell in Pine Bluff, Gilmore met up again and played together with Houston Stackhouse, with whom he had previously played in the early 1950s.[4] Whilst in Pine Bluff, he often performed at a small club known as Jack Rabbitts.[5] In the mid-1960s, Gilmore finally settled in California,[1] and he remained there until his death in 1976.[1]
Gilmore was interred at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Fresno, California.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Boyd Gilmore | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Illustrated Boyd Gilmore discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- ↑ "Boyd Gilmore | Songs". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- ↑ Jim O'Neal; Amy van Singel (eds.). The Voice of the Blues: Classic Interviews from Living Blues Magazine. Books.google.co.uk. p. 123. ISBN 0-415-93654-3. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- ↑ "Tail Dragger Talks, interview by Liz Mandeville". Chicagobluesguide.com. Retrieved 2016-10-30.