Sam Myers in Chicago - the 1950's
from Sam Myers: The Blues is My Story, page 52:
Starting off in 1952, Elmore [James] was paying me thirty-five dollars a night, playing drums. During the whole time we worked together, I didn't blow much harp, which is what a lot of people look for me to do now, every time when they see me. I didn't blow harmonica on but two of his recordings. One was a big classic by him, "Look on Yonder Wall." That was on Fire and Fury, Bobby Robinson's label out of New York. We did that one in New Orleans. I played with him from '52 until '63, the time when he died.
"Dust My Broom" was actually a Robert Johnson song, but Elmore had made it … more >>
Jeff Horton and Sam Myers, Sam Myers: The Blues is My Story (City of Jackson, 2006), p. 52. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1432633845997 accessed: 1 December, 2024
Listeners
Listening to
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'Dust My Broom'
written by Robert Johnson |
performed by Elmore James, Sam Myers |
Experience Information
| Date/Time | the 1950's |
| Medium | broadcast, live, playback |
| Listening Environment | in the company of others, indoors, in public |
Notes
Editor Jeff Horton writes: 'Sam was invited to join Elmore's peripatetic group as one of a revolving cast of studio and road drummers on the "Chittlin' Circuit." This was the name given to the loose route that black R&B and blues bands traveled in the 1950s and 1960s, mostly through the Deep South and as far north as Pittsburgh and Detroit. It involved moving from gig to gig in automobiles stuffed with instruments and luggage, and it was a hardscrabble existence for musicians who relied on word of mouth to persuade the next club or theater owner to book them for a night or two. Many owners would even pit one band against another in competitions to see who the crowd wanted to have back again.’ In addition, Sam Myers appeared on many hit records with Elmore James. Their association lasted until 1963, when Elmore passed away from a heart attack at the age of forty-five.