Joe Medwick (blues musician) facts for kids

Joe Medwick (born June 21, 1931 – died April 12, 1992) was an American singer and songwriter. He was known for writing many popular rhythm and blues (R&B) songs. R&B is a style of music that blends blues, jazz, and gospel. While he was officially credited for only a few songs, like "Further On Up The Road," many people believe he wrote many other famous hits. These include "I Pity the Fool" and "Turn On Your Love Light." Joe Medwick often sold the rights to his songs for small amounts of money to record label owners like Don Robey. He also recorded music using different names, such as Joe Veasey, Joe Masters, and Joe Melvin.

Early Life and Music

Joe Medwick was an African-American musician born in Houston, Texas. He went to Yates High School in Houston. Some people think he got the name "Joe" from a famous baseball player named Joe "Ducky" Medwick.

When he was a teenager, Joe sang with a gospel music group called the Chosen Gospel Singers. Gospel music is a type of Christian music. Later, he started singing and writing non-religious music. After serving in the US Army in Korea, he returned to Houston. He performed in a blues club called Shady's Playhouse. He often played with pianist Teddy Reynolds. Joe spent more and more time writing lyrics and creating tunes for other blues musicians to sing.

Songwriting and Selling Rights

Joe Medwick was very good at writing songs. He could often sell his new songs quickly to music producers in Houston. However, he usually sold his songs for cash right away, without making formal contracts. This meant he gave up his rights to get paid royalties later. Royalties are payments made to songwriters each time their music is used or sold. Because of this, many people in the music business knew that Joe Medwick wrote or co-wrote many hit songs. But the official credit for these songs often went to the person who bought them from him.

He sold many of his songs to Don Robey, who owned the Duke and Peacock record labels. Famous singers like Bobby Bland and Junior Parker recorded for Robey's labels. In some cases, like "Further On Up The Road," Joe Medwick did get a co-writing credit. But it's thought he actually wrote that song with Johnny Copeland, not Robey. Johnny Copeland once said that Joe sold Mr. Robey maybe five hundred songs for ten or fifteen dollars each.

Many other songs, such as "I Pity the Fool," "Turn On Your Love Light," and "Driving Wheel," are believed to have been written by Joe Medwick. However, Don Robey often took the credit himself, sometimes using his songwriting name, Deadric Malone. In an interview in 1990, Joe Medwick said he made a mistake by trading his songs for cash. He also sold songs to other producers in Houston, like Huey Meaux.

Recording His Own Music

During the late 1950s, Joe Medwick sometimes recorded his own songs for Don Robey. In the 1960s, he recorded for smaller local labels owned by Huey Meaux, like Paradise and Pacemaker. He used different names for these recordings. It is believed that his best songs were often given to bigger stars, like Bobby Bland, to record instead of him.

In 1978, Huey Meaux released an album of many of Joe Medwick's demo recordings. A demo recording is a rough version of a song, often made to show how it sounds. This album was called Why Do Heartaches Pick On Me. After some time away from the spotlight, Joe Medwick started singing again in the 1980s. He joined saxophonist Grady Gaines' band, the Texas Upsetters. They released two CDs: Full Gain in 1988 and Horn Of Plenty in 1992.

Joe Medwick passed away at his home in Houston in 1992. He was buried in Houston National Cemetery.