Amos Milburn In-depth Biography
Boogie} piano master Amos Milburn} was born in Houston, and he died there a short 52 years later. In between, he pounded out some of the most hellacious boogies} of the postwar era, usually recording in Los Angeles for Aladdin Records} and specializing in good-natured upbeat romps about booze and its effects (both positive and negative) that proved massive hits during the immediate pre-rock} era.
The self-taught 88s ace made a name for himself as "the He-Man Martha Raye}" around Houston before joining the Navy and seeing overseas battle action in World War II. When he came out of the service, Milburn} played in various Lone Star niteries before meeting the woman whose efforts would catapult him to stardom.
Persistent manager Lola Anne Cullum} reportedly barged into Aladdin} boss Eddie Mesner}'s hospital room, toting a portable disc machine with Milburn}'s demo all cued up. The gambit worked -- Milburn} signed with Aladdin} in 1946. His first date included a thundering "Down the Road Apiece"} that presaged the imminent rise of rock & roll}. But Milburn} was capable of subtler charms too, crooning mellow blues} ballads} in a Charles Brown}-influenced style (the two would later become close friends, playing together frequently).
The first of Milburn}'s 19 Top Ten R&B} smashes came in 1948 with his party classic "Chicken Shack Boogie,"} which paced the charts and anointed his band with a worthy name (the Aladdin Chickenshackers}, natch). A velvet-smooth "Bewildered"} displayed the cool after-hours side of Milburn}'s persona as it streaked up the charts later that year, but it was rollicking horn-driven material such as "Roomin' House Boogie"} and "Sax Shack Boogie"} that Milburn} was renowned for. Milburn}'s rumbling 88s influenced a variety of famous artists, notably Fats Domino}.
With the ascent of "Bad, Bad Whiskey"} to the peak of the charts in 1950, Milburn} embarked on a string of similarly boozy smashes: "Thinking and Drinking,"} "Let Me Go Home Whiskey,"} "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer"} (an inebriating round John Lee Hooker} apparently enjoyed!), and "Good Good Whiskey"} (his last hit in 1954). Alcoholism later brought the pianist down hard, giving these numbers a grimly ironic twist in retrospect. Milburn}'s national profile rated a series of appearances on the Willie Bryant}-hosted mid-'50s TV program Showtime at the Apollo} (where he gave out with a blistering "Down the Road Apiece"}).
Aladdin} stuck with Milburn} long after the hits ceased, dispatching him to New Orleans in 1956 to record with the vaunted studio crew at Cosimo's}. There he recut "Chicken Shack Boogie"} in a manner so torrid that it's impossible to believe it didn't hit (tenor saxist Lee Allen} and drummer Charles "Hungry" Williams} blast with atomic power as Milburn} happily grunts along with his pounding boogie} piano solo). In 1957, he left Aladdin} for good.
Milburn} contributed a fine offering to the R&B} Yuletide canon in 1960 with his swinging "Christmas (Comes but Once a Year)"} for King}. Berry Gordy} gave him a comeback forum in 1962, issuing an album on Motown} predominated by remakes of his old hits that doesn't deserve its extreme rarity today (even Little Stevie Wonder} pitched in on harp for the sessions).
Nothing could jump start the pianist's fading career by then, though. His health deteriorated to the point where a string of strokes limited his mobility and his left leg was eventually amputated. Not too long after, one of the greatest pioneers in the history of R&B} was dead. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide
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