Stick McGhee

Stick McGhee, also sticks McGhee ( born March 23, 1917 in Knoxville (Tennessee ) and Granville Henry McGhee; † August 15, 1961 in the Bronx, New York City ) was an American blues and rhythm-and - blues guitarist and singers. He was the younger brother of Brownie McGhee.

Life and work

McGhee started playing guitar at the age of thirteen. After he was kicked out of high school, he worked with his father at Eastman Kodak. In 1940 he left that job and moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, then to New York. There, he performed his military service in 1942 and was then during the Second World War as a soldier in the Army. In 1946 he was discharged from the army and settled in New York ..

During his military service, he had often played guitar. Finally he had with the rhythm and blues song " Drinkin 'Wine Spoo - De -O -Dee " recorded early 1949 success. The song was also the first hit of the young label Atlantic Records. In McGhees band Wilbert " Big Chief " Ellis played ( piano ), Brownie McGhee (guitar) and Gene Ramey ( bass).

Drinkin 'Wine, Spo -Dee -O -Dee brought " the new way of life to the point: drinking and brawling are all there is in life, and if anyone disputes examined, then give him ' a drink from or thump him one on 's mouth, " Greil Marcus described the mood of this song, which his imitators among other things, encouraged to Baby, Let's Play House (Elvis Presley, 1955). The first lines were:

His song became one of the earliest prototypical rock and roll songs; He experienced numerous cover versions, such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Mike Bloomfield's Electric Flag (as "Wine" ). The song title was also an alcoholic fruit drink ( spodi ) his name. First, Granville and Brownie McGhee had jointly revised the song and played for Harlem Records, where he had appeared in January 1947, and then ran into the radio. Nationally known he was then two years later recorded version for Atlantic Records; He came then to position 3 on the Billboard R & B chart.

His other songs have been covered by many artists, including Lionel Hampton, Wynonie Harris hillbilly formation Loy Gordon & His Pleasant Valley Boys. Popular remained " Drinkin 'Wine, Spo -Dee -O -Dee " by the end of the 50s through the versions of Malcolm Yelvington (1954 ) Johnny Burnette (1957 ), Jerry Lee Lewis in 1959 and finally in 1962 Larry Dale.

McGhee then took on even more records for Atlantic and wrote popular songs such as the " Tennessee Waltz ", " Drank Up All The Wine Last Night", "Venus Blues ", " Let's Do It " and "One Monkey Do not Stop No Show " but remained out of commercial success. McGhee moved from Atlantic to Essex Records to record the album My Little Rose, but without greater resonance, after which he went to King in 1953. For the label, he took a series of rock and roll songs like " Whiskey, Women and Loaded Dice, " " Head Happy With Wine, " " Jungle Juice, " " Six to Eight, " "Double Crossin ' Liquor, " " dealin ' from the bottom " and" Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter ". After also at King failed to success, he took on more recent recordings for Savoy Records in 1955; after he retired from the music business. He died in August 1961 at the age of 44 from lung cancer.

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