DISCOGRAPHY 1939-1984 (18CD)
BIOGRAPHY
Tommy McClennan (January 4, 1905-May 9, 1961) was an American Delta
blues singer and guitarist.
McClennan was born in Durant, Mississippi, and grew up in the town. He
played and sang blues in a rough, energetic style.
He made a series of recordings for Bluebird Records from 1939 through
1942. He regularly played with his friend Robert Petway. His voice is
heard in the background on Petway's recording of "Boogie Woogie Woman"
(1942). McClennan's singles in this period included "Bottle It Up and
Go", "New Highway No. 51", "Shake 'Em on Down", and "Whiskey Head
Woman".
Several of his songs have been covered by other musicians, including
"Cross Cut Saw Blues" (covered by Albert King) and "My Baby's Gone"
(Moon Mullican). McClennan's "I'm a Guitar King" was included in the
1959 collection The Country Blues, issued by Folkways Records.
"He had a different style of playing a guitar", Big Bill
Broonzy said. "You just make the chords and change when you
feel like changing"
John Fahey's "Screaming and Hollerin' the Blues" contains an
interview with Booker Miller, a contemporary of Charlie
Patton's, in which Miller mentioned someone who is most likely
Tommy McClennan, though Miller did not know his name: "... and I
saw another fella he put some records out, they (him
and Willie Brown) be together, but he be by himself when I
see him, they called him "Sugar"... I ain't never known him as
nothing but Sugar, he put out a record called Bottle Up and
Go... I sold him my guitar."
Bob Dylan covered Tommy McClennan's "Highway 51" on his
self-titled debut album in 1962.
McClennan died of bronchopneumonia in Chicago, Illinois, on May 9, 1961.
(Wikipedia)
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2024-Shake 'Em On Down (2CD) @FLAC
WOLF SERIES
WBCD001-Tommy McClennan-I'm a Guitar King (1939-42) @320
