Lightnin' Slim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lightnin' Slim
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Lightnin' Slim on the cover of the album
Winter Time Blues (Ace Records) |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Otis Verries Hicks |
| Born | March 13, 1913 St. Louis, Missouri, or Good Pine, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 27, 1974 (aged 61) Detroit, Michigan |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocal |
| Labels | Excello, Stateside, Flyright Ace |
Otis Verries Hicks (born March 13, 1913) was an American musician. He was better known as Lightnin' Slim. He played blues music, especially a style called Louisiana blues and swamp blues. He recorded many songs for Excello Records. A music expert named ED Denson said he was one of the top five blues musicians of the 1950s. The others were Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Lightnin' Slim passed away on July 27, 1974.
Contents
About Lightnin' Slim's Life
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Otis Hicks was likely born on a farm near St. Louis, Missouri. However, some records suggest he was born in Good Pine, Louisiana. These records include his draft card and prison documents. When he was about 13, he moved to Baton Rouge.
His older brother, Layfield, taught him how to play the guitar. By the late 1940s, Slim was already performing in bars around Baton Rouge.
Starting His Recording Career
In 1954, Slim made his first recording. It was a song called "Bad Luck Blues." This song was released by J. D. "Jay" Miller's Feature Records. Jay Miller was the one who gave him the stage name "Lightnin' Slim."
After that, Slim recorded for Excello Records for 12 years. This started in the mid-1950s. He often worked with his brother-in-law, Slim Harpo. He also played with a harmonica player named Lazy Lester.
Later Years and Rediscovery
For a while, Lightnin' Slim stopped playing the blues. He worked in a factory in Pontiac, Michigan. The hot conditions there affected his hands.
In 1970, a man named Fred Reif found him again. Slim was living in Pontiac at the time. Reif helped him start performing music again. He also helped him get a new recording deal with Excello.
His first show after his break was in 1971. It was a reunion concert at the University of Chicago Folk Festival. He played with Lazy Lester, who Reif had brought from Baton Rouge.
Touring and Final Years
In the 1970s, Slim traveled to Europe to perform. He played in the United Kingdom and at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Often, Moses "Whispering" Smith played harmonica with him. His last tour in the UK was in 1973. It was part of a special concert series called "American Blues Legends."
In July 1974, Lightnin' Slim died. He was 61 years old and passed away from stomach cancer in Detroit, Michigan.
Lightnin' Slim's Music
Albums Recorded
Lightnin' Slim released several albums during his career. Here are some of them:
- Rooster Blues, Excello LPS-8000 (1960)
- Authentic R & B, UK Stateside SL-10068 (1963)
- The Real R & B, UK Stateside SL-10112 (1964)
- A Long Drink of Blues, UK Stateside SL-10135 (1964)
- Lightnin' Slim's Bell Ringer, Excello LPS-8004 (1965)
- The Real Blues, Excello LPS-8011 (1969)
- High & Low Down, Excello LPS-8018 (1971)
- That's All Right, Quicksilver QS-5062 (1983)
- London Gumbo, Excello LPS-8023 (1972)
- The Excello Story, Excello LPS-8025 (1972)
- Montreux Blues Festival, Excello LPS-8026 (1972)
- American Blues Legends '73, Big Bear Records BEAR20
- The Early Years, Flyright FLYLP-524 (1976)
- Trip to Chicago, Flyright FLYLP-533 (1978)
- The Feature Sides 1954, Flyright FLYLP-583 (1981)
- We Gotta Rock Tonight, Flyright FLYLP-612 (1986)
CD Collections
Many of his songs have also been released on CD collections:
- Rollin' Stone, Flyright FLYCD-08 (1989)
- King of the Swamp Blues 1954–1961, Flyright FLYCD-47 (1992)
- Blue Lightning, Indigo Records IGOCD-2002 (1992)
- I'm Evil: Rare & Unissued Excello Masters, Volume One, Excello/AVI 3002 (1994)
- It's Mighty Crazy!, Ace Records CDCHD-587 (1995)
- Nothin' but the Devil, Ace Records CDCHD-616 (1996)
- Winter Time Blues (The Later Excello Sessions 1962–1965), Ace Records CDCHD-674 (1998)
- The Best of Lightnin' Slim, Hip-O/MCA 12010 (1999)
- I'm a Rolling Stone: The Singles As & Bs 1954–1962 Centenary Edition, Jasmine JASMCD-3045 (2015)
Popular Songs
Some of Lightnin' Slim's well-known songs include:
- "Farming Blues" (1954)
- "New Orleans Bound" (1954)
- "Bad Luck and Trouble" (1956)
- "It's Mighty Crazy" (1957)
- "G.I. Blues" (1959)
- "My Starter Won't Start" (1958)
