Memphis Slim

Memphis Slim

John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other artists. He made over 500 recordings. He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1989. Memphis Slim was born John Len Chatman, in Memphis, Tennessee. For his first recordings, for Okeh Records in 1940, he used the name of his father, Peter Chatman (who sang, played piano and guitar, and operated juke joints); it is commonly believed that he did so to honor his father. He started performing under the name "Memphis Slim" later that year but continued to publish songs under the name Peter Chatman. He spent most of the 1930s performing in honky-tonks, dance halls, and gambling joints in West Memphis, Arkansas, and southeast Missouri. He settled in Chicago in 1939 and began teaming with the guitarist and singer Big Bill Broonzy in clubs soon afterwards. In 1940 and 1941, he recorded two songs for Bluebird Records that became part of his repertoire for decades, "Beer Drinking Woman" and "Grinder Man Blues". These were released under the name "Memphis Slim," given to him by Bluebird's producer, Lester Melrose. Slim became a regular session musician for Bluebird, and his piano talents supported established stars such as John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Washboard Sam, and Jazz Gillum. Many of Slim's recordings and performances until the mid-1940s were with Broonzy, who had recruited Slim to be his piano player after the death of his accompanist Joshua Altheimer in 1940. After World War II, Slim began leading bands that generally included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues. With the decline of blues recording by the major labels, Slim worked with emerging independent labels. Starting in late 1945, he recorded with trios for the small Chicago-based Hy-Tone Records.[8] With a lineup of alto saxophone, tenor sax, piano, and string bass (Willie Dixon played the instrument on the first session), he signed with the Miracle label in the fall of 1946. One of the songs recorded at the first session was the ebullient boogie "Rockin' the House," from which his band would take its name. Slim and the House Rockers recorded mainly for Miracle through 1949, with some commercial success.[1] Among the songs they recorded were "Messin' Around" (which reached number one on the R&B charts in 1948) and "Harlem Bound".[9] In 1947, the day after producing a concert by Slim, Broonzy, and Williamson at New York City's Town Hall, the folklorist Alan Lomax brought the three musicians to the Decca Records studios and recorded with Slim on vocal and piano. Lomax presented sections of this recording on BBC Radio in the early 1950s as a documentary, The Art of the Negro, and later released an expanded version as the LP Blues in the Mississippi Night. ... Source: Article "Memphis Slim" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

  • Title: Memphis Slim
  • Popularity: 1.735
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1915-09-03
  • Place of Birth: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: John Len Chatman, Peter Chatman
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Memphis Slim Movies

  • 2004
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    The Blues Greats

    The Blues Greats

    7 2004 HD

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  • 1970
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    Memphis Slim Live At Ronnie Scott's

    Memphis Slim Live At Ronnie Scott's

    4 1970 HD

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  • 1971
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    Kill!

    Kill!

    6.4 1971 HD

    Interpol investigates the freelance killings of drug and porn peddlers.

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  • 1963
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    I Hear The Blues

    I Hear The Blues

    1 1963 HD

    UK TV Movie of blues performances from many of the greats.

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  • 2012
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    Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass

    Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass

    1 2012 HD

    In the early 1960s, when Greenwich Village was bursting with a folk music revival, the Friends of Old Time Music made it their mission to introduce...

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  • 1968
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    The Sergeant

    The Sergeant

    6.4 1968 HD

    THE SERGEANT is the story of the dark inner struggle of Master Sergeant Albert Callan to overcome the overwhelming attraction he feels for one of his...

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  • 2003
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    The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 1

    The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 1

    1 2003 HD

    Taken from the European tours organised for American blues musicians between 1962 and 1969, this release features performances by several popular...

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  • 2003
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    The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 2

    The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 2

    1 2003 HD

    Taken from the European tours organised for American blues musicians between 1962 and 1969, this release features performances by several popular...

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  • 1986
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    Free Alien Monster with Every Pack of Rice Crispies

    Free Alien Monster with Every Pack of Rice Crispies

    1 1986 HD

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  • 1975
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    Midi Première

    Midi Première

    10 1975 HD

    Midi Première is a French variety show presented by Danièle Gilbert, directed by Jacques Pierre and broadcast from January 6, 1975...

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  • 1972
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    Le Grand Échiquier

    Le Grand Échiquier

    8 1972 HD

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  • 1975
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    Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

    Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

    6 1975 HD

    A talk show presented by Michel Drucker

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  • 1959
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    Discorama

    Discorama

    1 1959 HD

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