Amos Milburn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amos Milburn
Background information
Born	(1927-04-01)April 1, 1927 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died	January 3, 1980(1980-01-03) (aged 52) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Rhythm and blues, boogie-woogie, jump blues
Occupation(s)	Singer, pianist
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1946–1972
Labels	Aladdin

Joseph Amos Milburn (born April 1, 1927 – died January 3, 1980) was an American R&B singer and pianist. He was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Amos Milburn was born in Houston, Texas. He passed away in Houston 52 years later. People remember Milburn for his happy and upbeat songs. His music often had a fun, playful feel. His lyrics painted clear pictures of everyday life.

Amos Milburn's Early Life and Music Career

Amos Milburn was born in Houston, Texas. He was one of thirteen children in his family. By the time he was five years old, he was already playing tunes on the piano. When he was fifteen, he joined the United States Navy. He served in the Philippines and earned thirteen battle stars.

After his time in the Navy, Milburn returned to Houston. He put together a sixteen-piece band. They played music in many clubs around the city. William and Geneva Church helped manage his career.

Becoming a Recording Star

Amos Milburn was a very skilled pianist and performer. In 1946, someone noticed his talent. This led to a recording session with Aladdin Records in Los Angeles. Milburn worked with Aladdin Records for eight years. During this time, he recorded more than 75 songs.

One of his early recordings was "Down the Road a Piece" in 1946. This was a blues song with a Texas boogie style. It sounded a lot like early rock music. However, his songs did not become widely popular right away.

Rising to Fame in the 1940s

By 1949, seven of his singles caught the attention of R&B fans. Songs like "Hold Me Baby" and "Chicken Shack Boogie" became big hits. They reached numbers eight and nine on Billboard magazine's R&B best-seller list for 1949.

Milburn became a key artist in the Central Avenue music scene in Los Angeles. He was also a popular musician who toured a lot. He won awards from Down Beat magazine for Best Blues and Jazz Star. Billboard magazine named him a Top R&B Artist. One of his most famous songs was "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer". In 1950, his song "Bad, Bad Whiskey" reached the top of the R&B record chart.

Later Career and Challenges

Milburn continued to record popular songs through 1952. These included "Thinking and Drinking" and "Trouble in Mind". He toured the country, playing in many clubs. In the summer of 1952, he decided to perform as a solo artist. He joined Charles Brown for a concert tour in the South that autumn. For the next few years, he performed many one-night shows.

After three years of solo performing, Milburn went back to Houston in 1956. He re-formed his band. However, his new songs for Aladdin Records in 1957 did not sell well. Aladdin Records was also having problems and ended his contract. He tried to find success with new songs for Ace Records. But by then, the music world was changing. Radio airplay was focusing more on music for teenagers.

Milburn also contributed two songs to Christmas music. These were "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby" in 1949 and "Christmas (Comes but Once a Year)" in 1960. The 1960 song was the B-side to Charles Brown's holiday classic "Please Come Home for Christmas".

Final Years

Amos Milburn's last recording was for an album by Johnny Otis in 1972. By this time, Milburn had suffered a stroke. Johnny Otis helped him by playing the left-hand piano parts. Milburn had a second stroke, which caused health problems. This led to the amputation of one of his legs. He passed away soon after, at age 52, from a third stroke.

It is important to know that another artist named Amos Milburn, Jr. performed in Texas in the 1960s. This was a different person and not related to Joseph Amos Milburn.

Amos Milburn's Musical Legacy

Amos Milburn was a very important blues musician. He performed in the years right after World War II. He was one of the first artists to change from fancy jazz music to the louder jump blues style. He started to focus more on rhythm. The technical parts of singing and playing instruments became less important.

He was a successful musician for eleven years. He influenced many other performers. His energetic songs were admired by musicians like Little Willie Littlefield and Floyd Dixon. His biggest follower was Fats Domino. Domino always said that Amos Milburn influenced his music a lot.

Discography

Selected Recordings

• "Amos Blues", 1946
• "Down the Road a Piece", 1947
• "Chicken Shack Boogie", 1948
• "A&M Blues", 1948
• "Bewildered", 1948
• "Hold Me, Baby", 1949
• "In the Middle of the Night", 1949
• "Roomin' House Boogie", 1949
• "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby", 1949
• "Bad, Bad Whiskey", 1950
• "Let's Rock A While", 1951
• "Thinkin' and Drinkin", 1952 (written by Rudy Toombs)
• "Trouble in Mind", 1952
• "Let Me Go Home, Whiskey", 1953 (written by Shifty Henry)
• "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer", 1953 (written by Rudy Toombs)
• Rockin' the Boogie, 10-inch LP, 1955

Albums (LPs)

• Let's Have a Party, 1957, Score Records
• A Million Sellers, 1962, Imperial Records
• The Return of the Blues Boss, 1963, Motown Records

Compilation Albums

• The Best of Amos Milburn: Down the Road Apiece, CD, 1994, EMI America Records
• The Complete Aladdin Recordings of Amos Milburn, CD box set, 1994, Mosaic Records
• Blues, Barrelhouse & Boogie Woogie, CD box set, 1996, Capitol Records
• The Best of Amos Milburn, CD, 2001, EMI-Capitol Special Markets
• The Original Blues Sound of Charles Brown & Amos Milburn, with Jackie Shane and Bob Marshall & the Crystals, LP, 1965, Pickwick/Grand Prix Series, Pickwick International

See Also

In Spanish: Amos Milburn para niños

Images for kids

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  Amos Milburn in his younger years.