Mac Arnold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mac Arnold
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| Background information | |
| Born | June 30, 1942 Ware Place, South Carolina, United States |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, gas-can guitar |
| Years active | 1965–1990s, 2006-today |
| Labels | Plantation One Productions |
| Associated acts | Plate Full O' Blues, Muddy Waters, A.C. Reed, John Lee Hooker, Otis Spann |
| Members |
Mac Arnold
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Mac Arnold, born on June 30, 1942, is an American blues musician. He comes from South Carolina. He is known for his unique gas-can guitar and his long career in blues music.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Mac Arnold grew up in Ware Place, South Carolina. He was one of 13 children who lived and worked on his family's farm.
Making Music with a Gas Can
Mac's love for music started in the 1950s. He and his brother, Leroy, made their own guitar. They used a steel gas can, broomsticks, wood, nails, and screen wire.
Mac Arnold, who is now 83 years old, often shares stories about these homemade guitars. One of his famous gas-can guitars is often seen with him on stage. His brother Leroy figured out how to turn a gas can into a guitar. This happened when their dad was away picking oranges.
Mac explained that their dad would not let them buy a guitar. So, when Leroy was about 15, he learned to make one. They used to tie wire to the barn rafters. They knew this made sound because the tin roof would vibrate.
Mac Arnold is now famous for his gas-can guitar. He has taught many other people how to build them too.
Starting His Music Career
Early in his career, Mac Arnold played with a young James Brown. He was part of a band called J. Floyd & the Shamrocks. In 1965, Mac moved to Chicago. There, he worked with A.C. Reed.
Then, in 1966, he joined Muddy Waters' band. Mac played on a live recording from November 1966. This recording was released in 2009 as Muddy Waters - Authorized Bootleg.
In 1967, Mac started his own band, the Soul Invaders. They played as a backup band for many famous artists. These included B.B. King, The Temptations, and Little Milton.
Studio and TV Work
In the 1960s, Mac Arnold played bass on several important blues albums. He played on Otis Spann's The Blues Is Where It's At. He also played on John Lee Hooker's Live At Cafe Au Go Go.
In the 1970s, Mac moved to California. He continued to work on many different music recordings. He also spent four years playing in the band for the TV show Soul Train.
Later Years and Return to Music
By the 1990s, Mac Arnold was tired of traveling for music. He returned home to Pelzer, South Carolina. He mostly stopped performing in public.
However, in 2006, he was convinced to lead his own band, Plate Full O' Blues. Mac's return to music was featured in a two-part documentary. It was Stan Woodward's last film, called Nothing to Prove: Mac Arnold's Return to the Blues.
Restaurant and Festivals
In 2013, Mac Arnold opened his own restaurant. It was in the historic West End of Greenville, South Carolina. He hosted his popular yearly music event there. It was called The Cornbread and Collard Greens Blues Festival.
Even though his restaurant was very successful, he closed it in August 2017. He wanted to focus on music again. This decision came after he was nominated for the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame.
On September 23, 2017, Mac Arnold was officially inducted into the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the historic Dr. John R. Drish House in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Awards and Achievements
Mac Arnold has received many awards and honors for his music:
- The Blues Foundation Awards
- Nominated for Best Traditional Blues Male Artist in 2012.
- Nominated for Best DVD in 2011 for Nothing to Prove, a film about him.
- Won Best Historical Album of the Year in 2010 for Chess Records - Authorized Bootleg (Muddy Waters). Mac Arnold was on this album and accepted the award.
- Won the Folk Heritage Award in 2006.
- Received an honorary doctorate of music from the University of South Carolina on May 10, 2014.
- Inducted into the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame in 2017.
- Included in the 2021 South Carolina African American History Calendar.
- Inducted into the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame in June 2023.
Music in Schools
Mac Arnold and his band care about keeping music education in public schools. They support the "I Can Do Anything Foundation." This organization started after a song with the same name was released. Mac Arnold and Max Hightower wrote the song, and Plate Full O' Blues performed it.
Discography
Here are some of the albums Mac Arnold has played on or released:
With Other Artists
- With Martin Scorsese
- The Blues: Warming By The Devil's Fire (SONY/COLUMBIA/LEGACY, 2003)
- With Muddy Waters
- Muddy Waters Authorized Bootleg: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium - San Francisco Nov 04-06 1966
- With Otis Spann
- The Blues Is Where It's At (BluesWay, 1966)
- With John Lee Hooker
- Live At The Café Au-Go-Go (Bluesway, 1966)
- The Best Of John Lee Hooker (MCA Records, 1992) – features "I’m Bad Like Jesse James"
With Plate Full O' Blues
- Nothin' To Prove (Plantation #1 Productions, 2005)
- Backbone & Gristle (Pfob Music LLC, 2008)
- Country Man (Plantation #1/VizzTone, 2009)
- Mac Arnold's Blues Revival (Live at The Great Eagle, 2011)
- Give It Away (Pfob Music LLC, 2016)
- On A Mission (Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues, 2024)
- Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues Live At Crossroads (CD)
Other Recordings
- Live At The Handlebar 2004 (DVD)
- Blues Revue - Blues Music Sampler (CD 2005)
- Feel the Presence: Traditional African American Music in South Carolina (a compilation CD for the S.C. McKissick Museum)
Images for kids
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Mac Arnold performs with his band, Plate Full O' Blues, at the 'Fall for Greenville' arts festival, October 2013
