L. C. McKinley

L. C. McKinley (October 22, 1918 – January 19, 1970)[2][1][3] was an American Chicago blues guitarist. He worked with Eddie Boyd and Ernest Cotton. A performer on the Chicago blues scene, McKinley's major output was as a session musician on recordings made mostly in the 1950s.[2]

L. C. McKinley
Birth nameLuke C. McKinley[1]
Born(1918-10-22)October 22, 1918
Winona, Mississippi, United States
DiedJanuary 19, 1970(1970-01-19) (aged 51)
East Chicago, Indiana, United States
GenresChicago blues[2]
Occupation(s)Guitarist, singer
InstrumentsGuitar
Years activeLate 1940s–early 1960s

He also released a number of singles on various record labels.[2] His best-known tracks include "Weeping Willow Blues" and "Nit Wit." His guitar playing was influenced by T-Bone Walker.[4]

Biography

He was born Luke C. McKinley[1] in Winona, Mississippi, United States.[2] According to the United States Census in 1940, he was living in Vaiden, Mississippi, with his wife, Bessie, and two sons.[5] He relocated to Chicago in 1941.[2] He began to find work and by 1947 had started to play professionally in the Chicago area.[2][6] By the early 1950s, he was a regular performer at the 708 Club, where he variously topped the bill or played accompaniment in the first half of 1954 with the Ernest Cotton Trio.[6]

He began working with Eddie Boyd in the early 1950s. In 1952, McKinley and Cotton backed Boyd on the latter's recording of "Five Long Years",[2] which reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart.[7] McKinley also undertook recording sessions with several of Chicago's better-known blues musicians, including Curtis Jones.[2] In 1953 he recorded for Parrot Records, but these recordings were not released.[8] He signed with States Records in January 1954, which issued his "Companion Blues" later that year.[6]

In 1955, McKinley signed a recording contract with Vee-Jay Records,[8] which issued his single "Strange Girl", backed with "She's Five Feet Three", in the same year.[9] Other tracks he recorded in that period, which were unissued at that time, included "Blue Evening", "Down with It", "Rosalie Blues", "Disgusted", and "Tortured Blues".[6][10] In 1959, Bea & Baby Records released his single "Nit Wit".[6]

McKinley made his last recordings in 1964, which were released on the Sunnyland label in the UK.[4]

After leaving the music industry, he worked as a presser for a dry cleaning company in East Chicago, Indiana.[6]

McKinley died in East Chicago, Indiana, on January 19, 1970, aged 51.[1] His cause of death is unknown.

Discography

Singles
Year A-side B-side Record label
1954 "Companion Blues"[11] "Weeping Willow Blues" States
1955 "Strange Girl"[12] "She's Five Feet Three"[13] Vee-Jay
1955 "Lonely"[14] "I'm So Satisfied"[15] Vee-Jay
1959 "Nit Wit"[16] "Sharpest Man in Town"[4] Bea & Baby
1964 "Mind Your Business"[6] "So Strange" Sunnyland

Compilation albums
YearTitleRecord label
1982Chicago Blues in the Groove[17]P-Vine Records
2002Vee Jay Screaming Blues Guitar[18]P-Vine Records

See also

References
  1. "Illustrated L.C. McKinley discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  2. Leggett, Steve. "L.C. McKinley – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  3. Rock, Doc. "The Dead Rock Stars Club - The 1970s". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  4. "L.C. McKinley Sharpest Man in Town". Speedylive.net. 1969-01-19. Archived from the original on 2013-04-13. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  5. "L C McKinley in the 1940 Census". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  6. "WangDangDula.com". Koti.mbnet.fi. 2010-05-08. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  7. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Record Research. p. 52. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.
  8. "Vee-Jay Records | Big Road Blues". Sundayblues.org. 2008-09-14. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  9. "L C McKinley* – Strange Girl / She's Five Feet Three (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  10. "The United and States Labels Part II (1954–1957)". Hubcap.clemson.edu. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  11. Billboard – Google Books. 1954-02-20. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  12. Billboard –. 1955-03-26. p. 142. Retrieved 2013-03-14 – via Internet Archive. L. C. McKinley.
  13. "She's Five Feet Three (AKA Brown Skin Baby) – L.C. McKinley: Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  14. Billboard – Google Books. 1955-11-12. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  15. Billboard – Google Books. 1955-11-19. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  16. Billboard –. 1959-10-26. p. 48. Retrieved 2013-03-14 – via Internet Archive. L. C. McKinley.
  17. "Chicago Blues in the Groove (1982)". Plixid.com. 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  18. Leggett, Steve (2002-12-03). "Vee Jay Screaming Blues Guitar". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
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