Harmonica Fats facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harmonica Fats
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Harvey Blackston |
| Born | September 8, 1927 McDade, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States |
| Died | January 3, 2000 (aged 72) Los Angeles |
| Genres | Blues, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Harmonica, vocals |
| Years active | 1954–2000 |
| Labels | Skylark, Dot, Bee Bump |
| Associated acts | Bernie Pearl |
Harmonica Fats, whose real name was Harvey Blackston, was a talented American blues harmonica player. He was born on September 8, 1927, and passed away on January 3, 2000. He played music from the 1950s all the way into the 1990s.
Harmonica Fats became famous in 1962 with his popular version of the song "Tore Up." This success made him a sought-after musician for recording sessions and live tours. He is also well-known for working with blues guitarist Bernie Pearl. Together, they released four albums.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
Harvey Blackston was born in McDade, Louisiana. This was a small town about 40 miles from Shreveport. He was the oldest of 13 children. His grandparents raised him on a cotton farm.
Harvey started playing the harmonica when he was only four years old. He said that Sonny Terry was his biggest influence. Sonny Terry taught him a lot about how to play.
In 1946, Harvey got tired of farm life. He moved to Los Angeles to live with his father. There, he found a job at a manufacturing company.
Becoming a Musician
In 1954, Harvey had a car accident. This left him without a job for a while. During this time, he practiced his harmonica skills a lot.
He remembered playing with a guitarist named Cleveland Weller. Harvey realized he could hear his own mistakes when playing through a microphone and amplifier. So, he bought his own equipment. He practiced for four months to get better.
Building a Band
Harvey wanted to be ready for his first public show. So, he formed a band called the Houserockers. They practiced for two years! They learned over 200 songs.
The Houserockers started playing at the Tango Club. They quickly became very popular in Los Angeles. People loved their energetic shows. Harvey was also good at writing funny and relatable songs.
Finding His Stage Name
Harvey often played with other great harmonica players. These included George "Harmonica" Smith, Johnnie Dyer, and Harmonica Slim. His friendship with these musicians, especially Slim, led him to choose his stage name: Harmonica Fats.
Rise to Fame
In 1962, Harmonica Fats worked with pianist Henry Strogin. They made a demo of the Hank Ballard song "Tore Up." This was a song that fans often asked him to play. Fats had changed some of the lyrics.
He later recorded the song again with other musicians. He released it as a single on Skylark Records. The other side of the record had his own song, "I Get So Tired." "Tore Up" became a huge hit in the area. It even almost made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number 102. This success made Harmonica Fats a popular touring musician.
Skylark Records also released his next song, "Mama, Mama Talk to Your Daughter for Me." This song was also popular. However, it was his last recording for five years.
Later Recordings and Guest Appearances
Harmonica Fats recorded more singles in the late 1960s. These included "My Baby Didn't Come Home" and "The Birds and the Bees." None of these songs were as successful as "Tore Up."
Even without big hits, Fats was a popular guest musician. He played with famous artists like Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, Bobby Darin, Tina Turner, and Etta James. By the mid-1970s, he toured less. He took a job with the company Clorox.
Collaboration with Bernie Pearl
In the early 1980s, Harmonica Fats met Bernie Pearl. Bernie was an electric blues guitarist. He led a band at a club called the Ash Grove. They didn't start working together right away. But by 1986, Fats became a full-time member of Pearl's group.
In 1989, Fats and Pearl released a live album. It was called Live at Cafe Lido. This album showed how exciting Fats was on stage. People loved the album so much that they formed their own record company, Bee Bump Records.
Studio Albums
In May 1991, they released their first studio album. It was titled I Had to Get Nasty. Bernie Pearl suggested that they record their last two albums acoustically. This means they played without electric instruments. These albums were Two Heads Are Better and Blow, Fat Daddy, Blow!.
Harmonica Fats passed away on January 3, 2000. He was 72 years old.
