Elmore James died 55 years ago today...he would have turned 100 this year

The great blues guitarist and singer Elmore James died on May 24, 1963 in Chicago, of a heart attack.

I can only imagine what might have been musically had he lived long enough to enjoy the fruits of the blues boom that was about to gain momentum in the mid-60s.



R.I.P., Elmore

 

I love it that George Harrison name drops him during the slide guitar workout in "For You Blue."

 

Died at only 45 years of age. Too bad. A rare classic blues man.

 

Memorial at the Newport Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Ebenezer, Holmes County, MS.
Images at find a grave dot com, by Jeff Buchwald.

 

Elmore James was the favourite of a late friend of mine, who passed away 20 years ago aged 50. In the 1970s he inspired me to listen to the few Elmore records that were available at the time.

 

"Dust My Broom" is his biggest most well known tune.

 

Elmore James was truly a product of his era, and I explored his stuff when I was going through my blues-rock phase many years ago. I’d recommend anyone interested in the evolution of blues-rock give him a listen, but frankly his stuff gets old really fast! He reminds me of Chuck Berry in that regard.

 

Everyone who loves blues or houserockin’ boogies needs to pick up a copy of Elmore James: The Complete Fire and Enjoy Sessions. It’s fantastic stuff.

 

Elmore James blues rock? That's news to me... The genre didn't even exist when Elmore was alive. Or am I misreading your post?

 

My favorite bluesman, period. Brought amazing passion and grit to everything he recorded - and the first, rougher version of "It Hurts Me Too" is my favorite blues track ever. Tragic that he was never captured live on film (or even recorded live to my knowledge) during his lifetime.

 

Elmore had been gone 5 years when I first heard his classics and became hooked on electrified slide.

I made sure never to miss one of his disciples when I had the chance, and saw JB Hutto, Hound Dog Taylor, Homesick James and others when they came to town.

I picked up guitar at a late age and am proud to say I can muddle my way through Dust My Broom, Shake Your Moneymaker, Madison Blues and Something Inside Me.

 

I love Elmore. I don't agree with the negative comments in this thread. As a blues singer, he's among the very greatest. He could convey so much feeling with that voice.

 

Nice threadcrap.

Sheesh.

And FWIW, Elmore wrongly gets pegged by people who listen superficially as a One Trick Pony with the "Broom" riff. His works are much more sophisticated and diverse than he is given credit for, if you take the time to dig a little below the surface.

 

Actually, uber blues collector John Tefteller says film of Elmore was shot and distributed as promotional clips to movie theaters sometime during the late 50s or so, and he reported last year that he had found someone who had a print of them...but was unable to negotiate a deal to purchase them. Worst of all, that person died, and Tefteller says he doesn't know what happened to the Elmore film from there. He fears it went into the trash, and he's been unable to find a family member who knows anything about the film.

 

I was turned on to Elmore as a young teen in the early 60's by this great 45 my mom had for some reason.I knew nothing about blues or who this Elmo James fellow was with his name on this record.All i knew is i absolutely fell in love with it,cranking it up on the big console stereo in 1964.
To this day i can listen to this song and the flip side over and over..the power of his voice and guitar..one trick pony my ass


The flip side Fine Little Mama..rocks just as hard!
Elmore James - Fine Little Mama

 

For any Elmore fans out there you need to pick this up,a great tribute with some outstanding music,with some artist you might be surprised by,but they all do a great job.


Warren Haynes and Billy Gibbons and some great slide guitar.

 

I love Elmore James.i have almost everything he ever recorded.

I wish Eric Clapton would cover STRANGE ANGELS.

 

Favorite Elmore James of mine is
“Sunnyland Train”
Never “gets old”......

 

Elmore James's stuff is awesome and never gets old.

 

The fast, distorted version or the slower one? I got hooked on his "Sunnyland" as a teen, it was included in that compilation, The Story of the Blues. Years later, I was interested in tracking down the history of the song and found out there were two versions, one slow, one fast. That led me to reach out to a few blues scholars for help. I wrote it up here.

 

Elmore James had so much to offer, as an artist. He does tend to get dismissed too readily by some. If he’d lived another 15 years, he’d likely be better-known today.

The man was an incredible vocalist, a side of him often obscured by his slide guitar prowess.

Exhibit A: “Something Inside Me”



Oh hell, that’s exhibit B and C also! There’s a lot of depth to his catalog, once you get past the “Dust My Broom” re-treads (not that I mind those re-treads, either).

 

+1

I've been listening to Elmore for almost 50 years now, and over those decades have come to believe his talents as a powerful, emotional singer may just be his most remarkable asset, even more than his superb guitar playing for which he made his name originally.

 

The version on “The Story of the Blues”...
Also knocked out by his
“The Sky Is Crying”
“Shake Your Money Maker”
“Baby Please Set A Date”

And so many more...

 

I came to Elmore through Duane Allman and Brian Jones. Elmore’s slide guitar playing was most important to me at first, but over the years, his vocals are what keep me coming back again & again. The Elmore acolytes, great as they are, never seem to have that extra dimension.

 

The vocals on that version have such a sense of urgency. I always pictured him playing that through a small, beat up tube amp, cranked to the max, in a rough and tumble bar.