Pinetop Perkins

Joseph William Perkins''' (July 7, 1913 – March

21, 2011), known by the stage name '''Pinetop Perkins''',

was an [[People of the United States|American]]

[[blues]] [[musician]], specializing in piano music. He

played with some of the most influential blues and rock

and roll performers in American history, and received

numerous honors during his lifetime including the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction

into the [[Blues Hall of Fame]].

==Life and career==

Perkins was born in [[Belzoni, Mississippi|Belzoni]],

[[Mississippi]].

He began his career as a [[guitarist]], but then injured the [[tendon]]s in his

left arm in a fight with a choirgirl in [[Helena,

Arkansas|Helena]], [[Arkansas]]. Unable to play

[[guitar]], Perkins switched to the [[piano]], and also

switched from [[Robert Lee McCollum|Robert

Nighthawk]]'s [[KFFA (AM)|KFFA]] [[radio]]  program to

[[Sonny Boy Williamson II|Sonny Boy Williamson]]'s

''[[King Biscuit Time]]''.  

He continued working with Nighthawk, however, accompanying him on 1950's "Jackson Town Gal".

In the 1950s, Perkins joined [[Earl Hooker]] and began touring, stopping to [[sound recording and reproduction|record]] "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie"

(written by [[Pinetop Smith]]) at [[Sam Phillips]]' studio in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Tennessee]].  ("They used to call me Pinetop," he

recalled, "because I played that song.") Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins], 2000

[[National Endowment for the Arts|NEA]] [[National Heritage Fellowship]] However, Perkins was only 15 years old in 1928, when Smith

originally recorded "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie".

Perkins then relocated to [[Illinois]] and left music until Hooker convinced him to record again in 1968.

When [[Otis Spann]] left the [[Muddy Waters]] band in 1969, Perkins was chosen to replace him.<ref name="russell"/>  He stayed for more than a

decade, then left with several other musicians to form [[The Legendary Blues Band]] with [[Willie "Big Eyes" Smith]], recording through the late

1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.

Although he appeared as a [[sideman]] on countless recordings, Perkins never had an album devoted solely to his artistry, until the release of

''After Hours'' on [[Blind Pig Records]] in 1988.  The tour in support of the album also featured [[Jimmy Rogers]] and [[Hubert Sumlin]].

Perkins was driving his [[automobile]] in 2004 in [[La Porte, Indiana|La Porte]], [[Indiana]], when he was hit by a [[train]]. The car was wrecked,

but the 91-year-old driver was not seriously hurt. Until his death, Perkins lived in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Texas]]. He usually performed a

couple of nights a week at Nuno's on Sixth Street. In 2005, Perkins received the [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]].

In 2008, Perkins received a [[Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album]] for ''[[Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In

Dallas]]'' together with [[Henry Townsend (musician)|Henry James Townsend]], [[Robert Lockwood, Jr.]] and [[David Honeyboy Edwards]]. He was

also [[nominate]]d in the same category for his solo album, ''[[Pinetop Perkins on the 88's: Live in Chicago]]''.

The song "Hey Mr. Pinetop Perkins", performed by Perkins and [[Angela Strehli]], plays on the common misconception that Perkins wrote "Pinetop's

Boogie Woogie":

::''Hey Mr. Pinetop Perkins''

::''I got a question for you''

::''How'd you write that first boogie woogie''

::''The one they named after you''

Perkins played a brief musical cameo on the street outside Aretha's Soul Food Cafe in the 1980 movie ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues

Brothers]]'', having an argument with [[John Lee Hooker]] over who wrote "[[Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker song)|Boom Boom]]."  He also

appeared in the 1987 movie ''[[Angel Heart]]'' as a member of guitarist Toots Sweet's band.

At age 97, he won a [[Grammy Award]] for [[Best Traditional Blues Album]] for ''Joined at the Hip'', an album he recorded with [[Willie "Big Eyes"

Smith]].  Perkins thus became the oldest-ever Grammy winner, edging out comedian [[George Burns]] who had won in the spoken word category

16 years earlier.

Perkins dies aged 97  A little more than a month later, Perkins died on  21 March

2011 at his home in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]

 At the time of his death, the musician had more than 20 performances

booked for 2011.  Shortly before that, while discussing his late career resurgence with an interviewer, he conceded, "I can't play piano like I used

to either. I used to have bass rolling like thunder.  I can't do that no more.  But I ask the Lord, please forgive me for the stuff I done trying to

make a nickel." Along with [[David_Honeyboy_Edwards|David "Honeyboy" Edwards]], he was one of the last two original [[Mississippi

Delta|Mississippi]] [[Delta blues]] musicians, and also to have a personal knowledge of and friendship with [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert

Johnson]].

==Discography (selection)==

* 1976: ''Boogie Woogie ***KiNG***

* 1977: ''Hard Again'' (Muddy Waters)

* 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)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.valley-

entertainment.com/eye-to-eye-1.html |title=Eye to Eye |work=Valley Entertainment-Sledgehammer Blues |accessdate=8 July 2010}}</ref>

* 1997: ''Born in the Delta''

* 1998: ''[[Sweet Black Angel (album)|Sweet Black Angel]]''

* 1998: ''Legends'' (with [[Hubert Sumlin]])

* 1999: ''Live at 85!'' (with George Kilby Jr)

* 2000: ''[[Back on Top (Pinetop Perkins album)|Back On Top]]''

* 2003: ''Heritage of the Blues: The Complete Hightone Sessions''

* 2003: ''All Star Blues Jam'' (with Bob Margolin et. al.)

* 2004: ''Ladies Man''

* 2007: ''10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads'' (with [[Kenny Wayne Shepherd]] and and the [[Muddy Waters]] Band—Live)  Blues

From The Backroads .

* 2008: ''Pinetop Perkins and Friends''

* 2010: ''Joined At the Hip'' (with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith)