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unusual facts about the blues



Beale Street Blues

The title refers to Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, the main entertainment district for the city's African American population in the early part of the twentieth century, and a place closely associated with the development of the blues.

J. B. Lenoir

The 2003 documentary film The Soul of a Man, directed by Wim Wenders as the second instalment of Martin Scorsese's series The Blues, explored Lenoir's career, together with those of Skip James and Blind Willie Johnson.

Louis Delsarte

When Delsarte was growing up, he was surrounded by music including jazz, opera, musicals, and the blues.


see also

1993 State of Origin series

Rod Wishart scored again for the Blues before Kevin Walters brought the game back into the balance with a try five minutes from full-time.

AmeriKKKa's Nightmare

The original version of "Nigga Sings the Blues", was heard in the film, Jason's Lyric, and was also released on the film's soundtrack.

Baron Fairhaven

He is a Justice of the Peace and Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, a Major in the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) and Senior Steward of the Jockey Club.

Best of The Blues Brothers

Best of the Blues Brothers is the fourth and final Blues Brothers album released before John Belushi's death in 1982.

Billy Hawks

He recorded his first album, The New Genius of the Blues, for Prestige Records in November 1966, with Terrell, and with guitarist Boogaloo Joe Jones replacing Parker.

Bluesmobile

In the documentary "Stories Behind the Making of the Blues Brothers", Dan Aykroyd (Elwood) stated that the Bluesmobile would get charged from the substation, which would explain how it would be able to do impressive stunts.

Bob Gassoff

He was killed in a motorcycle accident on the country property of his friend and team-mate Garry Unger near Gray Summit, Missouri; his number 3 was subsequently retired by the Blues.

Cheat You Fair: The Story of Maxwell Street

With the birth of record companies like Ora Nelle Records, Delmark Records and Chess Records, Maxwell Street became the epicenter for the blues and numerous Maxwell Street artists wrote songs that were later were taken by major rock & roll acts like Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin, which is detailed extensively in the film.

Computers and Blues

The 'Blues' part of the title refers to Skinner's beloved Birmingham City.

Custard Pie

The lyrics to the riff-heavy song pay homage to the blues songs of the Robert Johnson era; specifically "Drop Down Mama" by Sleepy John Estes, "Shake 'Em On Down" by Bukka White, and "I Want Some Of Your Pie" by Blind Boy Fuller.

Diddley bow

Napoleon Strickland – One track, "Key to the Blues," on Bottleneck Blues, Testament 5021 (CD).

Doug Wickenheiser

In 1999 a banner with that logo, which became the symbol of The Fourteen Fund, the official Blues charity established in his memory, was permanently placed in the rafters at the Blues home rink.

East Troy, Wisconsin

Stevie Ray Vaughan, the blues guitarist, died in a helicopter crash following a concert at Alpine Valley in 1990.

Eddie Harris

From 1970 to 1975, he experimented with new instruments of his own invention (the reed trumpet was a trumpet with a saxophone mouthpiece, the saxobone was a saxophone with a trombone mouthpiece, and the guitorgan was a combination of guitar and organ), with singing the blues, with jazz-rock (he recorded an album with Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck, Albert Lee, Ric Grech, Zoot Money, Ian Paice and other rockers).

Ellington Jordan

Ellington '“Fugi”' Jordan is an American soul and funk songwriter and record producer, mainly known as the co-writer (with Billy Foster) of the blues song, "I'd Rather Go Blind".

George Avery Young

His first major club was Cardiff, and while serving with the 'Blues' he was selected to represent Wales in the country's opening game of the 1886 Home Nations Championship, against England.

George Ohsawa

William Dufty, sixth husband of actress Gloria Swanson and noted author of "Lady Sings the Blues", the 1956 autobiography of blues singer Billie Holiday, borrowed this concept as the title of his book "You Are All Sanpaku", which was based on Sakurazawa Nyoichi's teachings.

Hector Ó hEochagáin

He also presented two popular satirical documentaries on rugby, Chasing the Lions, a TV3 documentary featuring Après Match star Risteárd Cooper that saw both men follow the British and Irish Lions rugby team on their tour of New Zealand; and Chasing the Blues, following the misfortunes of the Irish rugby team at the World Cup in France.

Henrik Maarud

During this period, 'Amund Maarud Band' regular house orchestra at the blues club Muddy Waters in Oslo and backed Norwegian and international artists like R.C Finnegan, Vidar Busk, Paal Flaata, Barbara Blue, Larry Burton, Earl Poolbal, Hal Ketchum, Brian Setzer, Mason Ruffner, Linda Gail Lewis, Claudia Scott and Glenn D. Hardin hundreds of concerts and jam nights.

Houston Stackhouse

Between 1948 and 1954, Stackhouse worked during the day at the Chrysler plant in West Helena, Arkansas, and played the blues in his leisure time.

Jarmo Kekäläinen

After being passed over for the Blues GM job (losing out to Doug Armstrong), Kekäläinen returned to the Finnish Elite League to take the GM job with Jokerit.

Jim Nill

He only played 1 season for the Blues before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Tony Currie, Rick Heinz and St. Louis' 4th round choice (Shawn Kilroy) in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft for Glen Hanlon on March 9, 1982.

Jochen Hecht

Hecht played two full seasons for the Blues, compiling 32 goals and 46 assists before being dealt, along with Marty Reasoner and Jan Horáček, to the Edmonton Oilers for Doug Weight and Michel Riesen on July 1, 2001.

John Littlejohn

Born in Lake, Mississippi, United States, Littlejohn first learned to play the blues from Henry Martin, a friend of his father.

Joy Leftow

Some poems have gained critical acclaim, such as Tupelo Honey, Advancing on Satori, and the more recent, Being Jewish, My Mother, and I Sing The Blues For You Today, all of which have been published in several journals.

King Biscuit Time

A magazine spin-off, King Biscuit Time edited by Donald Wilcock, has won several awards from the Blues Foundation, including the "Keeping the Blues Alive Award", and features interviews and biographies of major blues personalities.

Knee Deep in the Blues

"Knee Deep in the Blues" is a song written by Melvin Endsley and was recorded by Marty Robbins in 1957.

L.A. Blues Authority Volume II: Glenn Hughes – Blues

#"The Boy Can Sing The Blues" – 5:38 (Hughes, Erickson, Mike Varney)

Larry Thurston

When the Blues Brothers reunited in 1988, Thurston was chosen to take Belushi's place as lead singer, alongside classic soul/R&B artists such as Sam Moore and Eddie Floyd.

Martha Copeland

Copeland's birth date is unknown, although Paul Oliver in his record sleeve notes to The Story of The Blues, Vol. 2, commented that she was in her forties when Victoria Spivey (born 1906) was in her teens.

Mashina

"Ha'Amuta Le-Heker Hatmuta" ("The Society for the Study of Mortality") sounds influenced by The Cure, "Miflatzot Ha-Tehila" ("The Monsters of Fame") sounds influenced by The Pixies and grunge, "Si Ha-Regesh" ("Emotional Peak") has the blues influence of Pink Floyd

Memphis Slim

It has become famous as "Every Day I Have the Blues." The tune was recorded in 1950 by Lowell Fulson, and subsequently by a raft of artists including B. B. King, Elmore James, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Natalie Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Mahalia Jackson, Sarah Vaughan, Carlos Santana, John Mayer and Lou Rawls.

Moorhead, Mississippi

It is widely believed that W. C. Handy, after hearing an old man singing about "where the Southern cross the Yellow Dog", was moved by the sound and began what came to be known as the "blues".

Na izvoru svetlosti

The album was recorded from September 4 to September 7, 1975 in Akademik Studio in Ljubljana, with the exception of the blues track "Negde daleko", recorded on the band's performance in Belgrade's Hala sportova on January 2, 1974.

Nat Riddles

He recorded several albums with Johnson (one produced by Len Kunstadt for Spivey Records, one produced by Horst Lippmann) and a solo album on Spivey entitled The Artistry of Nat Riddles. He also contributed several cuts to a Spivey series of LPs entitled New York Really has The Blues.

New blues

New blues is a name given to blues music by artists such as The White Stripes, John Mayer Trio, Seasick Steve, NuBlues, Stephen Dale Petit, and The Black Keys, who are ushering the blues into the 21st century.

Oxford by-election, 1924

All three candidates were former Oxford Blues enabling the popular press to dub the campaign 'The Battle of the Blues'.

Quintet / Sextet

The tune "Dr. Jackle" shows McLean's connection with the Blues as well as with Charlie Parker, Miles is in a typical lyrical position and Ray Bryant plays in soul-driven, dancy fashion.

Ronnie Boon

He joined the blues during the 1928/29 season, and by 1930 he was selected to represent Wales in a Five Nations Championship match against Scotland in an all-Cardiff three-quarter line alongside Davies, Jones and Turnbull.

Sal Paradise

Sal Paradise was also the name of an indie rock band on Tooth & Nail Records in the mid 1990s, and he is mentioned in a song, "The Story of the Blues (part 2)", by singer-songwriter Pete Wylie, who quotes, "The city intellectuals of the world are divorced from the folk-bodied blood of the land and are just rootless fools." (In fact the quotation is from another of Kerouac's characters, Jack Duluoz - also based on Kerouac himself - in his 1968 novel Vanity of Duluoz).

Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird

Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird is an EP by The Tallest Man on Earth, released on September 6, 2010.

Staffan William-Olsson

Eventually he was oriented towards the guitar, with the blues and rock music as main sources of influence (Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin as main models).

The Majesty of the Blues

The Majesty of the Blues was originally released in the LP, Compact Disc, and Cassette tape formats.

Trudy Lynn

Her debut, Trudy Sings the Blues, included her cover version of "Ball 'n' Chain".

Tucker Smallwood

He is the vocalist in the blues band Incarnation with guitarist Arlen Roth.

Virus Called The Blues

Virus Called The Blues was a 30 minute documentary spoof based on a day in the life of blues & jazz guitarist/songwriter Billy Jenkins and his band The Blues Collective.

Washburn Guitars

The Washburn guitar and the blues movement that it was involved with are associated with Maxwell Street.

Way Cool Jr.

Rumours spread that it was written about Elvis Presley due to the mentioning of things like "steel guitar across his back" and "heard he came from Memphis, somewhere down south, started hangin' with the blues crowd, that's how he got that crazy sound".

White and Black Blues

Ursull sings that "When someone talks to me about skin colour/I have the blues which sends shivers down my spine/I feel as if I'm in a tale by Edgar Allan Poe".

Xtra-Acme USA

The album cover features actress Winona Ryder, who starred in the music video for Talk About The Blues, which appeared in the band's sixth studio album ACME.