Jimmy Reed

Jimmy Reed, whose real name was Mathis James Reed, was born on September 6, 1925 in Dunleith, Mississippi and died of respiratory failure on August 29, 1976 in Oakland, California – shortly before his 51st birthday. He found his final resting place in Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois. As a style-defining US-American blues musician with his unmistakably relaxed sound, he was instrumental in shaping the transition from rural Delta blues to the electrified urban blues of Chicago.

Musical career of Jimmy Reed

Reed took his first musical steps with the help of his friend Eddie Taylor, who taught him to play the guitar and harmonica. In 1943, he moved to Chicago – a vibrant center of modern blues at the time. But first he had to do two years of military service in the navy. After the war, he married Mary, affectionately known as “Mama Reed”, and initially worked as a meat packer in Gary, Indiana. Through the blues scene there, he made his first contacts in Chicago and briefly became a member of John Brim’s Gary Kings, a local blues band, in which Eddie Taylor also appeared again.

After an attempt to sign with the renowned Chess label failed, Reed ended up with the smaller Chance Records. On June 6, 1953, he recorded his first single “High and Lonesome” / “Roll and Rhumba” there – accompanied by John Brim on guitar and Morris Wilkerson on drums. Despite a modest response and the imminent demise of the label, this was the start of a remarkable career.

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Successes with Vee-Jay Records

His musical breakthrough came with the young label Vee-Jay Records, which signed Reed at the end of 1953. He recorded “High and Lonesome” again at the very first session – this time with his trusted trio. Vee-Jay released his recording as the label’s first single, but commercial success was a long time coming. It was not until the third single “You Don’t Have to Go” (1954) that he catapulted into the Top 5 of the R&B charts. The hit “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby” (1955) and the later released “You’ve Got Me Dizzy” (1956) cemented his reputation as an integral part of the R&B scene.

In 1957, he made it into the pop charts for the first time with “The Sun Is Shining” – the beginning of his crossover success. “Honest I Do”, recorded in 1957, even made it to number 32 in the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 in the R&B charts. He landed his biggest hit in 1961 with “Bright Lights, Big City”, which reached number 3 in the R&B charts.

In his more than twelve-year collaboration with Vee-Jay Records, Reed released 39 singles and several albums – a total of 18 songs landed in the R&B charts, eight of them also in the pop charts. Reed’s last Vee-Jay single, “Don’t Think I’m Through”, was released at the beginning of 1966 – parallel to the label’s crisis and his own health problems.

Late years and health challenges

Reed’s career was increasingly burdened by alcohol addiction and epileptic seizures. Even a switch to the new ABC Bluesway label in 1966 did not bring a new upswing. Despite several record contracts in the following years, he was unable to build on his earlier successes. Around 1970, he finally stopped drinking alcohol, but his health had already suffered permanent damage. Nevertheless, he performed at the renowned Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1972 – a last great sign of life before he died in 1976.

Style and influence

Reed wrote the majority of his songs himself, but was often dependent on the support of his wife. During recordings, “Mama Reed” usually sat by his side and quietly mouthed the lyrics to him – a soft echo of her voice can even be heard on recordings such as “You Got Me Dizzy”.

His playing was characterized by a combination of calm guitar accompaniment and his characteristic harmonica playing, in which he used a holding frame for the harp – similar to Bob Dylan later on. Guitarist Eddie Taylor provided the backbone of his music with concise blues licks and provided the typical Jimmy Reed groove. This casual, almost restrained sound was clearly different from the powerful expression of his Chess colleagues and made him accessible to a wider audience – especially for the emerging rock scene.

Legacy and honors

Jimmy Reed’s influence extends far beyond the blues. A total of 164 songs were registered with the BMI, three of which won awards. Titles such as “Big Boss Man”, “Baby What You Want Me to Do” and “You Don’t Have to Go” are among the most covered blues numbers ever. Artists such as Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Van Halen, John Cale and the Grateful Dead have reinterpreted his songs and kept his legacy alive.

British bands such as The Animals, The Yardbirds and Them around Van Morrison also saw him as a musical role model – his relaxed style offered a welcome alternative to the rougher Chicago sound.

In 2020, Bob Dylan paid tribute to his work with the song “Goodbye Jimmy Reed”, which appeared on his album Rough and Rowdy Ways. Modern musicians such as Jimmie Vaughan and Omar Kent Dykes have also paid tribute to him with tribute albums.

His achievements were recognized posthumously in many ways: in 1980 he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, followed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. In addition, both his composition “Baby What You Want Me to Do” and the album “I’m Jimmy Reed” received their own Hall of Fame awards – a lasting legacy for one of the most charming representatives of the electric blues.

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Famous songs by Jimmy Reed

• 1953 High and Lonesome
• 1954 You Don’t Have to Go
• 1955 Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby
• 1956 You Got Me Dizzy
• 1957 The Sun Is Shining
• 1957 Honest I Do
• 1958 Down in Virginia
• 1958 Going to New York
• 1959 Baby What You Want Me to Do
• 1960 Big Boss Man
• 1960 Hush Hush
• 1961 Bright Lights, Big City
• 1961 Take Out Some Insurance
• 1968 Bye Me A Hound Dog