Eddie Boyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eddie Boyd
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Boyd in 1968
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Edward Riley Boyd |
| Born | November 25, 1914 Shelby or near Stovall, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | July 13, 1994 (aged 79) Helsinki, Finland |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1930s–1990s |
| Labels | JOB, Chess |
Edward Riley Boyd (born November 25, 1914 – died July 13, 1994) was an American blues musician. He was a talented pianist, singer, and songwriter. Eddie Boyd is best known for his popular songs in the early 1950s. His biggest hit was "Five Long Years", which became a number one song on the R&B music charts.
Eddie Boyd's Life and Music Career
Eddie Boyd was born in Mississippi, in the United States. He grew up either near Clarksdale, Mississippi or Stovall, Mississippi. From a young age, he learned to play both the guitar and the piano. He was especially inspired by other blues pianists like Roosevelt Sykes and Leroy Carr.
Moving to Chicago
In 1936, Eddie moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He played music there with his own group, called the Dixie Rhythm Boys. Later, in 1941, he joined many other African Americans moving north. This big move was called the Great Migration. People moved to cities like Chicago to find jobs in factories.
In Chicago, Eddie Boyd started recording music. He played piano for other famous musicians. These included Sonny Boy Williamson, Jazz Gillum, Muddy Waters, and Tampa Red. In 1947, he finally made his first recordings under his own name.
His Big Hits
Eddie Boyd wanted to produce his own music. He took some test recordings, called demos, to Joe Brown at J.O.B. Records. Joe Brown liked them and agreed to record the songs properly.
In May 1952, Eddie recorded "Five Long Years". This song became a huge success! It was number one on the Billboard R&B chart for seven weeks. After this, he signed with Parrot Records. His contract was then sold to Chess Records. For Chess, Eddie had two more hit songs in 1953. These were "24 Hours" and "Third Degree". Both songs reached number three on the R&B chart.
Touring and Moving to Europe
After his big hits, Eddie Boyd continued to record music. He worked with several smaller record labels in the 1950s. In 1957, he was in a car accident. This put his music career on hold for a while.
In 1965, Eddie Boyd went on a tour in Europe. He played with Buddy Guy's band as part of the American Folk Blues Festival. He also toured and recorded with famous bands like Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.
Eddie Boyd was not happy with the racial discrimination he experienced in the United States. So, he decided to move away. First, he moved to Belgium. There, he recorded music with a Dutch band called Cuby and the Blizzards. In 1970, he moved again to Helsinki, Finland. He loved Finland and continued to perform there. He recorded ten blues albums in Finland. His first album there was called Praise to Helsinki (1970). In 1977, he married his wife, Leila.
Eddie Boyd passed away in 1994 in Helsinki, Finland. He was buried in the St. Lawrence Church's cemetery. A few months after his death, a famous blues album was released by Eric Clapton. This album, From the Cradle, included Eric Clapton's versions of Eddie Boyd's songs "Five Long Years" and "Third Degree". This helped more people discover Eddie Boyd's amazing music.
Eddie Boyd's Hit Songs
Here are some of Eddie Boyd's most famous songs that made it onto the music charts:
- "Five Long Years" (J.O.B., 1952)
- "24 Hours" (Chess, 1953)
- "Third Degree" (Chess, 1953)
