Biography of Elmore James

A major link between the traditional Mississippi Delta blues and the modern electric Chicago blues sound of today, Elmore James played throughout the Delta -- often with his friend Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller). Elmore's brilliant singing and slide guitar playing helped define Chicago blues, along with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and the other Southern bluesmen who had migrated from the Delta to Chicago. Heavily influenced by Robert Johnson, Elmore became well known after recording his own version of Robert's "Dust My Broom" in 1951. Elmore always played, and recorded, with the finest musicians -- usually featuring harmonica, piano, or tenor sax as a complement to his passionate singing and slide playing.Elmore and his band, The Broom Dusters, played an intense, emotional blues that drove the audience wild. Stories are told of patrons becoming so spellbound by Elmore's plaintive singing and sensual slide guitar work that they'd throw money at his feet as he played. The passion of Elmore's music comes through on any of his recordings -- listen to "Something Inside of Me," "Look over Yonder Wall," "The Sky Is Crying," or "Standing at the Crossroads" for starters. As a slide guitarist, Elmore was more accurately in tune than most others, and his full, rich tone -- bordering on feedback with the amplifier -- had a sound much like the human voice. This tone may well have inspired B. B. King to develop the voice-like string-bending technique for which he has become famous. Elmore's playing has certainly influenced all the modern blues guitarists -- from J. B. Hutto and Earl Hooker to Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, and Johnny Winter. Elmore died of a heart attack in 1963 and was buried near Durant, MS. ~ Daniel Erlewine