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@ Sunday, 29. Jun, 2008 – 12:13:15
I posted a video clip of Big Joe Turner yesterday and a comment from Homelyyear had me digging for a little information.
I was so impressed by what I read I thought I might write a brief biography of Big Joe "The Boss of the Blues" Turner... then I found someone had already written a fairly definitive piece.
If you're interested in jazz/blues history, I can recommend having a read of this article. 
SeasideMan
Pro 
Usksider
Pro I'm more a bluesy person myself Tom, but having posted Shake Rattle & Roll yesterday I was quite interested to read about Big Joe myself.
Bo and Chuck are big favourites of mine from that genre... I prefer Muddy Waters though and truth be told you'll often find me listening to Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Huddie Ledbetter, Gertrude Rainey, Little Walter and other real old timers... the list is endless though...
SeasideMan
Pro Funnily enough, it's the old time bluesers I go for myself too: John Hurt, Skip James, Bukka White, Robert Johnson, Gary Davis, and so on. Absolutely timeless music. I can even play a few of the simpler songs myself now, after several months practice.
From the earlier electrified stuff, I particularly go for John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, T-Bone Walker and of course Muddy Waters.
Lovely. I'm listening to John Hurt right now, in fact :-)
Tom.
Usksider
Pro Brilliant aren't they? Are you into Miles Davis too by any chance?
SeasideMan
Pro I do have a small number of Miles Davis CDs, yes. I'd like more though!
Tom.
Usksider
Pro Yes I thought you might be another fan somehow... 
jenray
Pro The bottom picture is of a different fella called Joe Turner who was a piano player but not Big Jo Turner who was only a singer and barman...Ray had a look and said tell Usky this...HLOL...great big hugs..XX
Usksider
Pro I'll take your word for it... I pinched the image from the net, but it was listed as Big Joe Turner photographed in 1978. That's the trouble with taking stuff off the net isn't it...
jenray
Pro Unfortunately, they do get them muddled up sometimes...Joe Turner, the pianist did sing, but he wasn't Big Joe Turner...Ray knows both jazz musicians inside out and back to front and saw immediately what had happened....he's been studying Jazz since he was fifteen and is sixty-one now and has an incredible knowledge of the whole subject...LOL...I know I've lived with it for most of his life... great big hugs..XX
Usksider
Pro More blues oriented myself... as you've probably noticed I removed the offending image... big thanks to Ray for the info.
jenray
Pro You're welcome...Ray loves blues as well...jazz sort of goes hand in glove with the blues... Actually having said that...I love both as well...great big hugs...XXX
Usksider
Pro There is a fair bit of crossover between the genres.
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That's a pretty good review of his career. He was an important early Rock and Roll/Jazz singer. He didn't actually write Shake, Rattle and Roll, although it was written for him by Jesse Stone, nor was he involved with any of the instrumentation or production of the record(s).
As regards the development of the Rock and Roll sound, I would cite the major players as Ike Turner, Bo Diddley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry, followed very closely by Elvis Presley and Bill Haley.
It's great for this music to get a mention round here, and thanks for doing it. I;m more into Blues myself, but I do like a bit of classic R&R too.
Cheers, Tom.