Though he was a superb guitarist and vocalist, Lowell Fulson always preferred talking more about his songwriting. And yet the Tulsa-born performer, who died Mar. 6 in Los Angeles at age 77, will always be remembered more for his gravelly, expressive singing and for his wonderful playing, which alternated between flashy backing chords, stinging fills, and inventive leads.
Even so, his work as a tunesmith deserves to be recognized, especially since it wasn’t much during his lifetime. For example, when Otis Redding and Carla Thomas had a huge hit with a cover of his “Tramp” in 1967, Fulson was angry that his contribution as songwriter wasn’t better recognized. It was a slight that haunted him for the rest of his life.
A ’93 inductee into the R&B Hall of Fame and the winner of five Handy awards, Fulson was equally comfortable doing stripped-down country blues, Texas shuffle, big-band jump, and R&B. He began his career playing country and fiddle tunes in the late ’30s. After serving in the Navy, he moved to Oakland in 1945 and scored his first huge hit in 1948 with “Three O’Clock Blues” on the Big Town label. After signing with Swing Time Records, he cut the signature number “Every Day I Have the Blues.” He recorded for many labels throughout his career, but his tenure at Chess from 1954-1962 was arguably his peak period.
Fulson kept working well into the ’90s. Like Gatemouth Brown, he resisted pigeonholing and considered himself simply an American musician. He was also among the few performers of his era who held onto the copyrights of his songs. Reportedly, one of his last statements was, “Don’t mess with my money.” His legacy will last well into the 21st century.
—Ron Wynn
Giant step
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, the first pop album by Bill Lloyd since his 1994 LP Set to Pop, arrived in stores this week, but you’ll have to wait a month for his record-release show, slated for Apr. 23 at 12th & Porter. If the live show is anything like the disc, it’ll be worth the wait. The album shows Lloyd in classically tuneful Nashville-by-way-of-Liverpool form, supported by a remarkable lineup of guest performers—Amy Rigby, Marshall Crenshaw, Brad Jones, Kim Richey, Al Kooper, Al Anderson, Greg Trooper, Swan Dive, Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson, The Smithereens’ Dennis Diken, and Poco’s Rusty Young.
Don’t miss the two hidden bonus tracks at the end—especially a guest appearance by Lloyd’s 8-year-old son Ryman, who sings the melody to “Wipeout” while his dad plays the familiar drumbeat on the kid’s back. The record is being released by Koch Records.
—Jim Ridley
