Jimmie Lee Robinson facts for kids

Jimmie Lee Robinson (born April 30, 1931 – died July 6, 2002) was a talented American blues musician. People also knew him as Lonesome Lee. He was famous for his part in the Chicago blues music scene during the 1950s and 1960s. Jimmie Lee played with many other blues artists and worked as a session musician. This means he played instruments on recordings for other singers. After taking a break from music, he came back in the 1990s. He then recorded his own albums.

Jimmie Lee's Musical Journey

Jimmie Lee Robinson was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 30, 1931. He lived with his grandparents when he was a child. His neighbor, a blues musician named Blind Percy, taught him to play the guitar. In 1942, Jimmie Lee started playing music at the Maxwell Street market. He also performed with other local musicians there.

Playing with Other Blues Stars

In 1948, Jimmie Lee met Eddie Taylor. They played together in Chicago clubs until 1952. After they split up, Robinson started his own band. It was called the Every Hour Blues Boys. He formed the band with Freddie King, whom he met outside a welfare center. This band played together for four years. Freddie King later said that Jimmie Lee was one of his first and most important teachers.

In 1955, Robinson joined a band led by Little Walter. This group became very popular in Chicago. By 1958, Jimmie Lee became the singer for the band. However, he left later that year because of problems within the group.

Throughout the 1950s, many artists wanted Jimmie Lee to play with them. He was a popular session musician. He played bass guitar and rhythm guitar for famous musicians like Howlin' Wolf and Magic Sam. He also recorded three songs for the Bandera record label. One of his most famous songs, "All of My Life," was recorded in 1960.

Touring and Taking a Break

In 1965, Jimmie Lee toured Europe. He played with other great artists like Buddy Guy, Big Mama Thornton, and John Lee Hooker. This tour was part of the American Folk Blues Festival. Robinson kept touring and recording in the United States. But, after his mother passed away and blues music became less popular, he played less often in the late 1960s.

During this time, he opened a candy store in Chicago. He still toured a few more times, often with his long-time friend Little Willie Anderson. He also recorded music, but not very regularly. In the 1980s, Robinson stopped his music career. He worked as a carpenter and later as a taxi driver for most of that decade.

A Comeback and a Cause

In the late 1980s, members of a local blues band called Ice Cream Men encouraged Jimmie Lee to start playing music again. He returned to music and recorded his first studio album in 1994. It was called Lonely Traveller and came out on Delmark Records. This album included both old and new songs by Robinson. He released four more albums after that: Guns, Gangs, and ... in 1996, Maxwell Street Blues in 1998, Remember Me in 1998, and All My Life in 2001.

Jimmie Lee's return to music also included an important protest. He actively worked to stop the changes happening on Maxwell Street. He was part of the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition. He even wrote a song for the group called "Maxwell Street Teardown Blues." Many buildings on the street were going to be torn down. This was so the University of Illinois could make their campus bigger.

In protest, Robinson performed on Maxwell Street in 2000. He played "Maxwell Street Teardown Blues." He also fasted for 81 days. Even with Jimmie Lee and others protesting, the street was almost completely torn down by the end of that year. Later in 2000, Robinson changed his name to J. L. Latif Aliomar. This was part of his religious conversion to Islam.

Final Years

In early 2002, doctors found a tumor in Jimmie Lee's sinuses. It was removed in April of the same year. He started performing again just four days later. This was to celebrate his 71st birthday at the Deep Blue Club. However, the cancer had already spread to other parts of his body. His health got worse, and he could not recover. Jimmie Lee Robinson was found dead on July 6, 2002.

Jimmie Lee's Music (Discography)

Here are some of the albums Jimmie Lee Robinson recorded:

With Shakey Jake

• Mouth Harp Blues (Bluesville, 1961)

With Al Smith

• Midnight Special (Bluesville, 1961)

Solo Albums

• Lonely Traveller (1994)
• Guns, Gangs, and ... (1996)
• Remember Me (APO, 1998)
• All My Life (APO, 2001)
• Chicago Jump (2004)