November seems to have been a prolific month for the birth of musicians, as I discovered in doing my blues birthdays research for next Sunday's widely anticipated (Well, not really WIDELY anticipated - maybe SOMEWHAT anticipated?) resurrection of "Blues With A Feeling" on 88.3 FM, WQRI, 3:00-5:00 PM ( Also on the web). At first glance, the November birthday honors could be more or less equally divided between Bonnie Raitt, Tina Turner, and Bonnie Bramlett.
Bonnie Raitt has long standing blues credentials, as evidenced by "Give It Up (Or Let Me Go)", her knock down, drag out rendition of "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)", her homage to Mississippi Fred MacDowell in "Mean Old Kokomo" (Raitt's generosity towards her R&B idols like LaVern Baker is well known) and her own take on lesser known but just as powerful ballads like "Stayed Too Long At The Fair" or "Love Has No Pride" - all of this long before Bonnie finally got big time recognition! There's nothing small time about Tina Turner. From the moment she abandoned the obviously hick country girl Annie Mae Bullock persona, out in front of Ike Turner's band, Tina jumped from " Nutbush City Limits" to "Proud Mary" to "Acid Queen" to "What's Love Got To Do With It?", eclipsing Ike, managing to force America to confront the nasty spectre of wife beating. Her relationship with the opposite sex is aptly explained in "You Better Be Good To Me." Turner has outlived her husband, and her R&B roots, from belting out the funk in St Louis 1950s era roadhouses to chatting it up with Oprah. Bonnie Bramlett's name isn't immediately recognizable unless you remember "Delaney and Bonnie", and the lineup of musicians including Eric Clapton who joined the pair on the road for the memorable album with the two boots hanging out of the Rolls Royce driver's side window on the cover. Their frantic renditions of Little Richard classics are best known for propelling late 1960s'-early 70s audiences to their feet, but Bonnie's contribution goes far beyond that, to holding up the vocal foundation behind some of rock's best known performers.
Joni Mitchell and June Pointer were also born in November, along with Puff Daddy - I mean P. Diddy -, Roy Rogers, whose real child-molester-sounding name was Leonard Sly, Lawrence Welk's ace accordion player Myrin Florin, Aaron Copeland, Scott Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, but the man whose impact was equal to if not greater than theirs was Berry Gordy, the man who founded Motown. His vision and commitment brought us Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Jackson Five, just to name a very few.
Duane Allman was a November baby as well. His prowess on the guitar was the driving force behind the Allman Brothers, and his appreciation of the blues is evident in songs like "Done Somebody Wrong". I always wondered where he would be today if his life hadn't been cut short by his tragic motorcycle accident. Not as well known but equally potent in the music world is Mack Rebenneck, better known as Dr. John, whose contributions range from his numerous solo efforts to producing to preserving to playing some of the best boogie woogie piano riffs I've ever heard.
Last but definitely not least is Ike Turner. Most of us think of him as an abusive husband and coke fiend based on his portrayal in the media, but his contribution to the blues was substantial. Ike's early career included scouting talent for Sun Records, discovering Howling Wolf among many others, and laying the foundation for rock and roll by promoting and developing artists.
Happy birthday to November's musicmakers, and Happy Thanksgiving to you !
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