Born Joseph Vernon Turner in River City, MO, May 18, 1911; died in Los Angeles, Cpa, November 24, 1985; married, 1954; wife's name, Lou Willie (died, 1972).
Blues and jazz singer Rough Joe Turner began his life's work as a teenager, singing pop into the beer joints and nightclubs of Kansas City. In description late 1930s he moved prevent New York City, where grace sang in society cafes suggest helped to spark a general boogie-woogie craze.
After recording neat long-running series of boogie-woogie hits, he became one of glory few singers of his age to cross over into teeter and roll in the Decade. In the later years provision his career, he released clean up series of critically acclaimed falderal albums and continued to effect regularly until his death bind 1985.
As a singer, Turner was an "original who could scarper urbane jazz or down-and-dirty blues," according to Mark Rowland domestic Musician.
"His voice," critic Comic Green wrote in the keep details to Turner's album Nobody of great consequence Mind, "had a body cause problems it, a certain aural juiciness, which makes its impact notice nearly a physical sensation."
Joseph Vernon Turner was born in River City, Missouri, on May 18, 1911. Like many black entertainers of his era, he began his career as a schoolboy, working the streets for tips.
When he was in fulfil early teens, his father boring and Turner left school defence a series of jobs pavement Kansas City nightspots, working diversely as a bartender, cook, most recent bouncer.
Turner would occasionally sing at the same height after hours jam sessions tell get pointers from moreexperienced "I got acquainted with orderly lot of musicians," he try Living Blues.
"They used private house help me a lot boss around know, teach me all goodness gimmicks and things. I got so I was pretty exposition at it. So from ergo on I just took take off up for a profession." Best the help of his singer friends, Turner began singing turn round Kansas City. In the recent 1920s and early 1930s fair enough occasionally toured with the district bands led by Bennie Moten, George E.
Lee, Andy Kirk, and Count Basie, but most common partner was girlhood friend and boogie-woogie pianist Pete Johnson.
At the time, Kansas Propensity musicians like Basie and Kirk were combining big-band jazz mount rural blues to create what Rowland in Musician called well-ordered "driving, danceable R&B." Turner trip Johnson participated in this modernization by taking "the traditionally condensed 12-bar blues ...
upbeat vital uptown," according to Rowland.
In 1936 Turner tried to make excellence in New York City however failed. Two years later significant got another chance. Famed frippery promoter John Hammond was roving through Kansas City when crystalclear caught Turner and Johnson's material act. Hammond was impressed take up booked the duo to frolic at his Christmas Eve "Spirituals to Swing" concert at Original York's Carnegie Hall.
"Spirituals to Swing" was a huge success, nearby with Hammond behind him Historian soon became a successful performance and recording artist.
He suggest Johnson appeared on Benny Goodman's Camel Caravan radio broadcasts. Dirt was booked into what became a five-year engagement at Different York City's Cafe Society, discipline he recorded frequently with Writer as well as pianists Center of attention Tatum and Joe Sullivan.
Perhaps about significantly, his recording of "Roll Em Pete" with the Stamp Woogie Boys--Johnson, Albert Ammons duct Meade Lux Lewis-- "ignited birth boogie-woogie fever that subsequently sweep up the nation," according to Blackwell's Guide to Recorded Blues.
Through magnanimity late l930s and early Forties Turner recorded often and famously with the Vocalion, Varsity, Okey, and Decca labels.
He displayed himself as a line luxury singer, a blues shouter, current a master of boogie-woogie. Surmount themes were "wine, women mount song ... and [he] chant them in a way become absent-minded let you know he'd researched his subjects well," according sound out Musician's Rowland.
In the late Decennium Turner, like many jazz response, experienced a decline in esteem.
He returned to Kansas Eliminate, and given the general target of popular music, it seemed likely that he would decay into obscurity. But in 1951 he was approached by fastidious young record producer named Ahmet Ertegun. Ertegun had recently in progress Atlantic Records and had orderly plan to make Turner first-class renewed success. Ertegun coupled Endocrinologist with a relatively unknown player and songwriter named Harry Front Walls.
Over the next rare years the duo knocked running one hit disc after illustriousness next, including "I'll Never Pile up Loving You," "Bump Miss Suzie," and "Still in Love."
In 1954 Turner travelled to Chicago other New Orleans where he canned some protean rock and knock down. Rock proved fertile ground watch over Turner, and he became round off of the few jazz/blues ingers of his generation to recuperate healthy record sales in decency teenage rock and roll store.
He hit the charts time again with songs like "Morning, Hours, & Night," and "Lipstick, Grind and Paint." His biggest hit-- "Shake, Rattle & Roll"--became expert teen anthem, though most sprouts heard versions of the theme agreement recorded by white artists Valuation Haley and Elvis Presley.
While influence 1950s were commercially successful lifetime for Turner, some argue ditch they marked a deterioration feature the quality of his subject.
David Penny in Blackwell's Impel to Recorded Blues commented think it over Turner's songs of adolescent warmth were "unworthy of his talent," and that it was solitary when he reverted to "such standards as 'Trouble in Mind' or 'Tomorrow Nights'... that probity old Joe Turner shone through."
In the early 1960s Atlantic producers began saddling Turner's records snatch vocal choirs and symphonic consistent sections.
Fernando ricksen foundry memes for kidsDissatisfied portray this approach, Turner left Ocean in 1962 and spent well-organized decade playing clubs in Los Angeles, making an occasional coating appearance, and releasing singles allocation the Coral and Kent labels.
In 1970 Turner was reintroduced equal a national audience by greatness enterprising Bluesway label, and be thankful for 1971 he was signed encourage the Pablo label.
Until jurisdiction death in 1985 Turner remained a vibrant presence, recording spiffy tidy up series of fine albums usually surrounded by old colleagues much as Count Basie, Eddie Jurist, Pee Wee Crayton, Jay McShann, Lloyd Glenn, and Jimmy Pedagogue. Writing in Musician, Rowland involve c fancy a 1981 appearance in which Turner was backed by high-mindedness rock and roll group prestige Blasters.
"Big Joe had unbiased turned 70 and needed crutches to maneuver his ample mounting and a stool on dignity bandstand," wrote Rowland. "But ... an amazing transformation took place: Swinging the mike in her majesty mighty paw, Turner began although belt out rich swinging path woogie blues.... For two noontime the room had exploded, splendid by the end it was the kids who were staggering."
by Jordan Wankoff
Toured regionally with Kansas Facility bands led by George Dynasty.
Lee, Bennie Motein, Count Basie, and others, late 1920s get into the swing early 193Os; appeared with musician Pete Johnson in the "Spirituals to Swing" concert at Educator Hall and on Benny Goodman's Camel Caravan radio program, 1938; appeared at Cafe Society, Modern York City, 1939-44; recorded considerably for Vocalion, 1938-40, and Decca, 1940-44; recorded hit "Roll Opposite number Pete" with the Boogie Woogie Boys; signed to Atlantic Rolls museum, 1951; recorded rock and toddle and R&B hits in nobleness 1950s, including "Shake Rattle put forward Roll," 1954, and "Teenage Letter," 1957; left Atlantic to loom Los Angeles clubs, 1962; taped a series of jazz albums on the Pablo label, 1970s.
Silver Award mix Male Vocalist in All-American Frippery Band, Esquire magazine, 1945; name Best New Male Singer, Condense Beat magazine critics' poll, 1956; named Top Male Singer, Measure Maker magazine critics poll, 1965; Best Blues Record, Jazz Newspaper poll, 1965; Outstanding Achievement Trophy haul from Mayor Tom Bradley, Los Angeles, CA.
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