T-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker was born on May 28, 1910, in Linden, Texas, and became one of the most influential figures in the development of modern electric blues. Raised in a musical family in Dallas, Texas, his stepfather, Marco Washington, was a member of the Dallas String Band, and Walker was exposed to music from an early age. He learned to play various instruments, including the guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin, and piano. As a teenager, Walker began his music career, performing on the blues circuit and assisting Blind Lemon Jefferson, a family friend, during his gigs.
Walker's recording debut came in 1929 under the name Oak Cliff T-Bone, with the single "Wichita Falls Blues" backed with "Trinity River Blues." By the age of 25, he was performing in Los Angeles clubs and recorded with Les Hite's orchestra. Around 1940, Walker began playing the electric guitar, a move that would revolutionize the blues genre.
In the 1940s, Walker recorded prolifically and became known for his sophisticated, jazz-infused guitar style and clever songwriting. His 1947 hit "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)" became a blues standard. Other notable songs from this period include "Bobby Sox Blues" and "West Side Baby." Walker's influence extended to many future blues and rock guitarists, including B.B. King, who credited Walker as a major inspiration.
Throughout his career, Walker toured extensively and recorded with various labels, earning a Grammy Award in 1970 for his album "Good Feelin’." He continued to perform until a stroke in 1974 curtailed his activities. T-Bone Walker passed away on March 16, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, recognized as a pioneer of the electric blues sound.
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