Mickey Baker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mickey Baker
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Mickey Baker in concert, 1982
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | MacHouston Baker |
| Born | October 15, 1925 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | November 27, 2012 (aged 87) near Toulouse, France |
| Genres | R&B, jazz, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1950s–1980s |
| Labels | Savoy, Cat, Rainbow, MGM, Atlantic, King |
MacHouston "Mickey" Baker (born October 15, 1925 – died November 27, 2012) was an American guitarist. He was famous for playing guitar in recording studios for many artists. He was also part of a music group called Mickey & Sylvia.
Contents
Early Life and Learning Music
Mickey Baker was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His mother was Black. He never met his father.
When Mickey was 11 years old, he went to an orphanage. He often ran away from there. He would travel to cities like New York City and Chicago. Eventually, the orphanage stopped looking for him. At 16, he stayed in New York City. He worked doing different jobs, like washing dishes. He also spent time playing pool for money.
At 19, Mickey decided to change his life. He wanted to become a jazz musician. He first wanted to play the trumpet. But he only had $14. He found a pawnshop that only had guitars for that price. So, he bought a guitar.
He tried to learn music at The New York School of Music. But he thought it was too slow. He left and tried to teach himself. Later, he met a street guitarist who made him want to play again. He took private lessons for several years. A famous saxophonist named Charlie Parker influenced his music style.
Music Career
By 1949, Mickey Baker had his own music group. He started getting paid for his performances. He moved to California, but people there did not like progressive jazz music much. Mickey was stuck without work. Then he saw a show by blues guitarist Pee Wee Crayton.
Mickey said, "I asked Pee Wee, 'You mean you can make money playing that stuff on guitar?'" Pee Wee drove a big white car and had a huge bus for his band. Mickey realized he could make money playing the blues. He said, "the blues was just a financial thing for me then."
He found some jobs and earned enough money to go back to New York.
After returning east, Mickey started recording music. He worked for record companies like Savoy, King, and Atlantic Records. He played guitar for many famous artists. These included The Drifters, Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, and Big Joe Turner.
Mickey was inspired by the group Les Paul & Mary Ford. He formed a duo called Mickey & Sylvia in the mid-1950s. Sylvia Robinson was one of his guitar students. In 1956, they had a very popular song called "Love Is Strange."
After the duo broke up in 1958, Mickey recorded with Kitty Noble. They released three songs together. In 1959, Mickey released his first solo album, The Wildest Guitar. Mickey & Sylvia worked together again sometimes until the mid-1960s.
Around this time, Mickey moved to France. He worked with French singers like Ronnie Bird and Chantal Goya. He also made some solo records. He stayed in France for the rest of his life. Mickey Baker almost always had work. He also wrote popular guitar lesson books. He recorded two albums in the 1970s with Big Bear Records.
Mickey Baker played at the Roskilde Festival in 1975.
Mickey did not share much about his private life. So, the reasons he moved to France are not fully clear. Some people thought he was tired of the music business in the United States. Others believed he was upset by the increase in hate crimes in the southern United States during the civil rights movement.
Personal Life
Mickey Baker kept his personal life very private. He gave few interviews. He also made only a few public appearances. After moving to France, he rarely left the country. He made very few trips back to the United States.
Mickey Baker was married six times. One of his wives was Barbara Castellano. He was married to her from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. He later married Marie France-Drei, a singer. They were together from the early 1980s until he passed away.
Mickey had two children. His son was named MacHouston, Jr. His daughter was named Bonita Lee.
Death
Mickey Baker passed away on November 27, 2012. He was 87 years old. He died near Toulouse, France. His wife, Marie, said he died because of heart and kidney failure.
Books
Mickey Baker wrote a series of guitar lesson books. They are called Complete Course in Jazz Guitar. These books are very important for students learning jazz guitar. They have been printed for over 50 years.
Awards and Honors
In 1999, Mickey Baker received the Pioneer Award. This award came from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine listed him. He was No. 53 on their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."
In 2004, his song "Love Is Strange" was honored. It was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Discography
As leader
- The Wildest Guitar (Atlantic, 1959)
- Bossa Nova en Direct du Bresil (Versailles, 1962)
- Mickey Baker Plays Mickey Baker (Versailles, 1962)
- But Wild (King, 1963)
- Bluesingly Yours with Memphis Slim (Polydor, 1968)
- Mickey Baker in Blunderland (Major Minor, 1970)
- The Blues and Me (Black and Blue, 1974)
- Take a Look Inside (Big Bear, 1975)
- Tales from the Underdog (Artist, 1975)
- Mississippi Delta Dues (Blue Star, 1975)
- Up On the Hill (Roots, 1975)
- Blues and Jazz Guitar (Kicking Mule, 1977)
- Jazz Rock Guitar (Kicking Mule, 1978)
- Sweet Harmony (Bellaphone, 1980)
- Back to the Blues (Blue Silver, 1981)
- The Legendary Mickey Baker (Shanachie, 1991)
- New Sounds (Legacy, 2015)
As sideman
With Colette Magny
- Melocoton (CBS, 1963)
- Frappe Ton Coeur (Le Chant du Monde, 1963)
- Colette Magny (Le Chant du Monde, 1967)
With others
- Big Maybelle, The Okeh Sessions (Charly, 1983)
- Ronnie Bird, L'amour Nous Rend Fou (Decca, 1964)
- Clarence Gatemouth Brown, The Blues Ain't Nothing (Black and Blue, 1972)
- Nappy Brown, Don't Be Angry! (Savoy, 1984)
- Ruth Brown, Ruth Brown (Atlantic, 1957)
- Ruth Brown, Miss Rhythm (Atlantic, 1959)
- Solomon Burke, 1960 Debut Album (WaxTime, 2018)
- Milt Buckner, Rockin' Hammond (Capitol, 1956)
- Eric Charden, Eric Charden (Vega, 1963)
- Gene "The Might Flea" Connors, Let The Good Times Roll (Big Bear, 1973)
- Buck Clayton, Buck Clayton and Friends (Gitanes Jazz, 2007)
- Jimmy Dawkins, Jimmy Dawkins (Vogue, 1972)
- Jean-Jacques Debout, Jean-Jacques Debout (Vogue, 1964)
- Bill Doggett, Moondust (Odeon, 1959)
- Champion Jack Dupree, Champion Jack Dupree and His Blues Band Featuring Mickey Baker (Decca, 1967)
- Champion Jack Dupree, I'm Happy to Be Free (Vogue, 1972)
- Stefan Grossman, Friends Forever (Guitar Workshop, 2008)
- Coleman Hawkins, Disorder at the Border (Milan, 1989)
- Screamin' Jay Hawkins, At Home with Screamin' Jay Hawkins (Epic, 1958)
- Screamin' Jay Hawkins, ...What That Is! (Philips, 1969)
- Little Willie John, Fever (King, 1956)
- Louis Jordan, Somebody Up There Digs Me (Mercury, 1962)
- Booker T. Laury, Nothing but the Blues (Blue Silver, 1981)
- Booker T. Laury, Booker in Paris (EPM, 1992)
- Memphis Slim, Very Much Alive and in Montreux (Barclay, 1973)
- Jimmy Scott, If You Only Knew (Savoy, 2000)
- Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Back Country Blues (CBS, 1958)
- Sylvie Vartan, Sylvie Vartan's Story 1962 & 1963 (RCA Camden, 1969)
Images for kids
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Mickey Baker in concert, 1982
See also
In Spanish: Mickey Baker para niños
