Dennis Binder facts for kids

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

Dennis Binder's Musical Journey

Early Life and Music

Dennis Binder was born in Rosedale, Mississippi, on November 18, 1928. He began singing in church with his mother and aunts. When he was a child, his family moved to St. Louis. There, he learned about blues music from a piano player named "Toots". Toots would play St. Louis blues style piano.

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

Recording and Touring

Dennis Binder said he first recorded for Chess Records around 1951. In 1952, he started recording with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Even though Dennis wasn't a regular member of Ike's band, they worked together sometimes. Dennis remembered that he once took his band to challenge Ike's band to a music contest. After that, he ended up recording with them.

Ike Turner helped Dennis record at Sun Studio 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 collection in 1984. In 1954, Dennis recorded the songs "I Miss You So" and "Early Times". Ike Turner's band played with him for these songs, released by Modern Records.

Around that time, Dennis formed his own band in Memphis. It included drummer Bob Prindell and guitarist Vincent Duling. In 1954, Dennis moved his band to Chicago. In 1955, they recorded some songs for United Records in Chicago. One of these songs was "The Long Man". Other musicians, including saxophonists Raymond Hill and Bobby Fields, and bassist Al Smith, also played on these recordings. These songs were not released until 2000 on an album called Long Man Blues.

Soon after, Dennis and his band went on tour with a group called the Danderliers. During the tour, they visited Lawton, Oklahoma. Dennis decided to make Lawton his home and has lived there ever since. Lawton was a lively place for music because it was near an Army base. Blues musicians like Earl Hooker and Roscoe Gordon played at a popular club called The Jive Club. Rock 'n' roll music was becoming popular. White audiences also enjoyed "black music," so Dennis's band played in white clubs too. For a while, saxophonist A.C. Reed was a member of Dennis's band.

Later Music and Albums

In November 1958, Dennis Binder recorded at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. This led to the release of his single "Crawdad Song" / "She's Sumpin' Else" in 1959. 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 played gospel music.

Dennis also worked other jobs while recording his music. He even released music on his own record label. In 2004, a friend introduced him to Michael Frank, the president of Earwig Music Company. This led to Dennis signing a record deal with the Chicago-based Earwig label. In January 2007, Dennis released his first album, Hole in That Jug. This album featured a mix of blues, rock 'n' roll, and country music. Dennis Binder performed at the Ponderosa Stomp music festival in 2008.

His 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)

Where He Appeared 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)