Dennis Binder facts for kids

Dennis Binder, born on November 18, 1928, is an American musician. He is known for his rhythm and blues (R&B) music. Dennis is also a singer and songwriter. He is especially famous for his song "Long Man Blues." Dennis started his music career in the 1950s. He recorded music for important R&B record companies. These included Chess Records, Sun Records, and Modern Records. He also recorded songs with Ike Turner's band, the Kings of Rhythm.

Dennis Binder's Early Life and Music Journey

Dennis Binder was born in Rosedale, Mississippi. This was on November 18, 1928. He began singing with his mother and aunts. They sang together in church. When he was a child, his family moved to St. Louis. There, he learned about blues music. A person named "Toots" taught him. Toots played St. Louis blues style piano. Dennis would sit on Toots' lap and listen.

Around 1939, his family moved to Chicago. Dennis taught himself how to play the piano. He was determined to become a recording artist. He wanted to make his own music albums.

Recording Music with Famous Labels

Dennis Binder said he first recorded for Chess Records. This was around 1951. In 1952, he started recording with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. They recorded in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Dennis said he was not a regular member of Ike Turner's band. But they often worked together.

Dennis remembered a time he challenged Ike's band. He said, "I took my band down to Clarksdale to challenge Ike's band to a duel." He ended up recording with them instead. Ike Turner helped Dennis record at Sun Studio. This happened in May 1952. However, these recordings were not released at that time. One song, "Love You, Love You Baby," was later put on a special album. This album was called Sun Records: The Blues Years 1950–1956. It came out in 1984.

In 1954, Dennis recorded two songs. These were "I Miss You So" and "Early Times." Ike Turner helped him with these songs. They were released by Modern Records.

Forming His Own Band and Touring

Around 1954, Dennis Binder started his own band. He formed it in Memphis. The band included Bob Prindell on drums. Bob used to be in the Kings of Rhythm. Vincent Duling played guitar. Dennis then moved his band to Chicago in 1954.

In 1955, they recorded songs for United Records. This was a record company in Chicago. One of the songs was "The Long Man." Other musicians joined them for this recording. These included saxophonists Raymond Hill and Bobby Fields. Al Smith played bass. These recordings were not released right away. They were later put on an album called Long Man Blues in 2000. This album was released by Delmark Records.

Soon after recording for United, Dennis and his band went on tour. They toured with a group called the Danderliers. During their tour, they stopped in Lawton, Oklahoma. Dennis decided to make Lawton his home. He has lived there ever since. Lawton was a busy place with an Army base. It had a lively music scene. Many blues musicians played there. Dennis's band also performed for white audiences. This was because rock 'n' roll music was becoming very popular. For some time, saxophonist A.C. Reed was a member of Dennis's band.

Later Recordings and Albums

In November 1958, Dennis Binder recorded at Norman Petty Studios. This studio was in Clovis, New Mexico. These recordings led to a single released in 1959. The songs were "Crawdad Song" and "She's Sumpin' Else." He later recorded at Benson Studio in Oklahoma City.

In the 1960s, Dennis performed soul music. In the 1970s, he started playing country and western music. Later, he also performed gospel music. Dennis also released music on his own record label.

In 2004, a friend introduced Dennis to Michael Frank. Michael Frank was the president of Earwig Music Company. This meeting led to Dennis signing a record deal. He joined the Chicago-based Earwig label. In January 2007, Dennis Binder released his first album. It was called Hole in That Jug. This album had a mix of blues, rock 'n' roll, and country music. Dennis performed at the Ponderosa Stomp music festival in 2008.

Dennis Binder's Music Releases

Singles

• 1954: "I Miss You So" / "Early Times" (Modern 930)
• 1955: "The Long Man" / "I'm a Lover" (United 194)
• 1959: "Crawdad Song" / "She's Sumpin' Else" (Cottonwood 101)

Albums

• 2007: Hole in That Jug (Earwig Music)

Featured Appearances on Other Albums

• 1980: Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm, Volume 1 (Ace)
• 1984: Sun Records: The Blues Years 1950–1956 (Sun)
• 1993: Ike Turner, Rocks The Blues (P-Vine)
• 2000: Long Man Blues (Delmark)
• 2008: Ike Turner, Classic Early Sides 1952–1957 (JSP)