Pinetop Perkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pinetop Perkins
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Perkins at the Riverwalk Blues Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joe Willie Perkins |
| Born | July 7, 1913 Belzoni, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | March 21, 2011 (aged 97) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Piano blues, boogie-woogie, Delta blues, Chicago blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer |
| Instruments | Piano, vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 1920s–2011 |
| Labels | Blind Pig, Antone's |
| Associated acts |
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Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (born July 7, 1913 – died March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He played music with many famous blues and rock-and-roll artists. Pinetop received many awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also added to the Blues Hall of Fame.
Contents
Pinetop Perkins: A Life in Music
Starting His Musical Journey
Pinetop Perkins was born in Belzoni, Mississippi. He grew up on a farm in Honey Island, Mississippi. He first started his music career playing the guitar.
In the 1940s, he hurt his left arm in an accident. Because of this injury, he could no longer play the guitar. So, he decided to switch to playing the piano instead.
He also worked on radio shows. He played on Sonny Boy Williamson's King Biscuit Time show. He also played with Robert Nighthawk.
Recording and Touring
In the 1950s, Perkins joined musician Earl Hooker. They started touring and playing music together. He recorded a song called "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie". He recorded it at Sam Phillips's Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee.
This song was originally written by Pinetop Smith in 1928. Perkins learned to play it by listening to Smith's records. People started calling him "Pinetop" because he played that song so well.
Later, Perkins moved to Illinois. He stopped playing music for a while. But Earl Hooker convinced him to start recording again in 1968.
Perkins then joined the famous Muddy Waters band in 1969. He played with them for ten years. After that, he started his own group called The Legendary Blues Band. He recorded music with this band from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.
Later Years and Achievements
Perkins also appeared in movies. He had a small part in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers. He also appeared in the 1987 movie Angel Heart.
For many years, Perkins played on other artists' recordings. He was a "sideman," meaning he played along with the main musician. His first album that was only his own music was After Hours. It came out in 1988.
In 1998, he released an album called Legends. In 2001, Perkins played at the Chicago Blues Festival. He performed with Ike Turner, another famous musician. Turner said that Perkins inspired him to play the piano.
In 2004, when he was 91 years old, Perkins was in a car accident. His car was hit by a train in La Porte, Indiana. Luckily, he was not seriously hurt.
Until he passed away, Perkins lived in Austin, Texas. He often played music a few nights a week at a place called Momo's.
There's a song called "Hey Mr. Pinetop Perkins." It was performed by Perkins and Angela Strehli. This song talks about the common idea that he wrote "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie." But he actually learned it from Pinetop Smith.
As he got older, Perkins's hearing became weaker.
Pinetop Perkins's Passing
Pinetop Perkins passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 21, 2011. He was 97 years old. He died from heart problems at his home in Austin, Texas.
Many memorial services were held for him across the United States. The Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi, held a special music event for him. His funeral in Austin, Texas, was attended by many fellow musicians.
Perkins was buried in the McLaurin Memorial Garden cemetery in Clarksdale. His favorite meal, a McDonald's Big Mac and apple pie, was displayed at his service.
At the time of his death, Perkins had more than 20 performances planned for the year. He was one of the last original Delta blues musicians still alive. He was also one of the last bluesmen who had known Robert Johnson, another legendary blues artist.
Pinetop Perkins's Impact
His Influence on Music
Bruce Iglauer, who started Alligator Records, called Perkins "the best blues piano player." He said Perkins's career lasted over 80 years. He was a symbol for many musicians of his time.
Perkins inspired many blues artists, including Ike Turner. Turner said, "Pinetop would be the birth of rock 'n' roll, because he taught me what I played." Perkins worked with many famous blues musicians. These included Muddy Waters, Robert Nighthawk, Earl Hooker, and B.B. King.
The Pinetop Perkins Foundation
After Pinetop Perkins passed away, the Pinetop Perkins Foundation was created. This foundation helps young musicians learn about Blues and Jazz music. They hold yearly workshops, usually in Clarksdale, Mississippi. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these workshops were held online.
Young musicians get to learn from top Blues and Jazz artists. The workshops end with a performance by the students at the Ground Zero Blues Club.
The foundation also helps older musicians. It has a program called the Pinetop Assistance League. This program helps elderly musicians who can no longer earn money. It helps them pay for housing and medical costs. The goal is to make sure these musicians live comfortably and with dignity in their later years.
Awards and Special Honors
Pinetop Perkins received many important awards for his music:
- In 2000, he was named a National Heritage Fellow. This award is given by the National Endowment for the Arts.
- In 2003, Perkins was added to the Blues Hall of Fame.
- In 2005, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. This is a very special award for his long career.
- In 2008, Perkins won a Grammy Award. He won for Best Traditional Blues Album. This was for the album Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live in Dallas. He shared this award with other musicians.
- At 97 years old, Perkins won another Grammy Award. This was for his album Joined at the Hip. He recorded it with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. This made him the oldest person to ever win a Grammy Award at that time.
Movies About Pinetop Perkins
Pinetop Perkins has been featured in several documentary films:
- Born in the Honey (2007)
- Sidemen: Long Road to Glory (2016)
- He also appeared in Clint Eastwood's 2003 documentary Piano Blues.
Pinetop Perkins's Music Albums
Here are some of the albums Pinetop Perkins released:
- 1976: Boogie Woogie King
- 1988: After Hours
- 1992: Pinetop Perkins with the Blue Ice Band
- 1992: On Top
- 1993: Portrait of a Delta Bluesman
- 1995: Live Top, with the Blue Flames
- 1996: Eye to Eye, with Ronnie Earl, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Calvin "Fuzz" Jones
- 1997: Born in the Delta
- 1998: Sweet Black Angel
- 1998: Legends, with Hubert Sumlin
- 1998: Down in Mississippi
- 1999: Live at 85!, with George Kilby Jr
- 2000: Back on Top
- 2003: Heritage of the Blues: The Complete Hightone Sessions
- 2003: All Star Blues Jam, with Bob Margolin and others
- 2003: 8 Hands on 88 Keys: Chicago Blues Piano Masters
- 2004: Ladies Man
- 2007: 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and the Muddy Waters Band
- 2007: Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down – with Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, and James Cotton
- 2008: Pinetop Perkins and Friends
- 2010: Joined at the Hip, with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
- 2012: Heaven, with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
- 2015: Genuine Blues Legends, Pinetop Perkins and Jimmy Rogers with Little Mike and the Tornadoes
Albums with other artists:
- With Carey Bell
- Carey Bell's Blues Harp (1969)
- Last Night (1973)
- With Earl Hooker
- 2 Bugs and a Roach (1969)
- With Muddy Waters
- Live at Mr. Kelly's (1971)
- Can't Get No Grindin' (1973)
- "Unk" in Funk (1974)
- The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album (1975)
- Hard Again (1977)
More to Explore
In Spanish: Pinetop Perkins para niños
- Blues Hall of Fame
- List of blues musicians
- List of boogie woogie musicians
- List of Chicago blues musicians
- Chicago Blues Festival
- Long Beach Blues Festival
- Kentuckiana Blues Society
