Tag: Otis Clay

Saturday Matinee – Justin Johnson, Too Slim & The Taildraggers, and Otis Clay

Master of the 3-string electric shovel, Justin Johnson slides on anything.

Too Slim & The Taildraggers go slidin’ all over the two lane. The award-winning trio has had six albums peak in the top 10 of the Billboard Top Blues Albums. Members currently consist of Tim “Too Slim” Langford (lead vocals, guitar), Robert Kearnes (bass, vocals) and Jeffrey “Shakey” Fowlkes (drums).

Gospel, soul and blues singer Otis Clay (1942-2016):
Gospel would remain Otis’ primary focus. After arriving in Chicago during the mid-1950s, he joined the Golden Jubilaires, then hooked up with Charles Bridges’ Famous Blue Jay Singers in 1960. “Here we are singing acappella, and we’re singing in elementary schools, high schools, hotels and colleges and things like that. We were known as variety singers, or we were billed as (performing) ‘Old Negro Spirituals and Plantation Melodies.’ ”

Nice to have 2024 behind us, but 2025 better settle its ass right down pronto or I’m getting out The Belt. Have a great weekend, we’ll weigh down the porch tomorrow, noonish o’clock.

Saturday Matinee – Arkie Shibley, Commander Cody, Roy Acuff, Rocky Roberts & The Bo-Keys

http://youtu.be/svq1-Wxsc2A

Arkie Shibley & His Mountain Dew Boys set up the original template for the answer song “Hot Rod Lincoln” by Charlie Ryan. For decades I thought Phil Harris was the original author/artist.

HRL was later covered by Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen.

Smoke on the Water by Roy Acuff.

http://youtu.be/gXQXxdkffQg

Rocky Roberts was pure awesome soul in France, but not in the US. [tip o’ the tarboosh to Bunkarina for the find.]

The Bo-Keys‘ moniker is a apparently a riff on The Bar-Kays and The Mar-Keys, both great session groups from Stax Records of Memphis Tennessee. There’s enough soul in the last vid to last you for at least a month.

Have a great weekend, and for all men who accept their duties as fathers and do it right, Happy Fathers Day.