William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and

boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pi ...

pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer.

Biography

Dupree was a

New Orleans blues New Orleans blues is a subgenre of blues that developed in and around the city of New Orleans, influenced by jazz and Caribbean music. It is dominated by piano and saxophone, but also produced guitar bluesmen. Characteristics As a style, New ...

and

pianist, a barrelhouse "professor". His father was from the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...

and his mother was part

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

and

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

. His birth date has been given as July 4, July 10, and July 23, 1908, 1909,Dahl, Bill
"Champion Jack Dupree: Biography"

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, Retrieved 30 September 2016. or 1910; the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc give July 4, 1910. He was orphaned at the age of eight and sent to the Colored Waifs Home in New Orleans, an institution for orphaned or delinquent boys (about six years previously, Louis Armstrong had also been sent to the Home, after being arrested as a "dangerous and suspicious character"). Dupree taught himself to play the piano there and later apprenticed with

Tuts Washington Isidore "Tuts" Washington (January 24, 1907 – August 5, 1984) was an American blues pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He taught himself to play the piano at age 10 and studied with the New Orleans jazz pianist Joseph Louis "R ...

and Willie Hall, whom he called his father and from whom he learned "

Junker's Blues Junker Blues is a piano blues song first recorded in 1940 by Champion Jack Dupree. It formed the basis of several later songs including the 1949 " The Fat Man" by Fats Domino and the 1952 "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" by Lloyd Price. The song is about a dr ...

". He was also a "spy boy" for the Yellow Pocahontas tribe of the

Mardi Gras Indians Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians) are black carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, who dress up for Mardi Gras in suits influenced by Native American ceremonial apparel. Collectively, their organizations are called ...

. He soon began playing in barrelhouses and other drinking establishments. He began a life of travelling, living in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where he worked with

Georgia Tom Thomas Andrew Dorsey (July 1, 1899 – January 23, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music. He penned 3,000 songs, a third of them gospel, inc ...

, and in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he met

Scrapper Blackwell Francis Hillman "Scrapper" Blackwell (February 21, 1903 – October 7, 1962) was an American blues guitarist and singer, best known as half of the guitar-piano duo he formed with Leroy Carr in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He was an acoustic s ...

and

Leroy Carr Leroy Carr (March 27, 1904 or 1905 – April 29, 1935) was an American blues singer, songwriter and pianist who developed a laid-back, crooning technique and whose popularity and style influenced such artists as Nat King Cole and Ray Charles. Mus ...

. He also worked as a cook. In

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, after Joe Louis encouraged him to become a boxer, he fought 107 bouts, winning

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...

and other championships and picking up the nickname Champion Jack, which he used the rest of his life. He returned to Chicago at the age of 30 and joined a circle of recording artists, including

Big Bill Broonzy Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African American audiences. In the 1930s ...

and

Tampa Red Hudson Whittaker (born Hudson Woodbridge; January 8, 1903March 19, 1981), known as Tampa Red, was a Chicago blues musician. His distinctive single-string slide guitar style, songwriting and bottleneck technique influenced other Chicago blues gu ...

, who introduced him to the record producer

Lester Melrose Lester Franklin Melrose (December 14, 1891 – April 12, 1968) was a talent scout who was one of the first American producers of Chicago blues records. Career Lester Franklin Melrose was born in Sumner, Illinois, the second of six children ...

. Many of Dupree's songs were later credited to Melrose as composer, and Melrose claimed publishing rights to them. Dupree's career was interrupted by military service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. He was a cook in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and was held by the Japanese for two years as a prisoner of war. Following

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's death in office, Dupree composed the "F.D.R. Blues". After the war, his biggest commercial success was "Walkin' the Blues", which he recorded as a duet with

Teddy McRae Teddy McRae (January 22, 1908 – March 4, 1999) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and arranger. McRae was born in Waycross, Georgia, and brought up in Philadelphia and played with local ensembles, including one composed of family members, w ...

. This led to several national tours and eventually a European tour. In 1959, he played an unofficial (and unpaid) duo gig with

Alexis Korner Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner (19 April 1928 – 1 January 1984), known professionally as Alexis Korner, was a British blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a founding father of British blues". A major in ...

at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...

. Dupree moved to Europe in 1960, settling first in Switzerland and then

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

(in the anarchist-occupied

Freetown Christiania Freetown Christiania, also known as Christiania ( da, Fristaden Christiania or '), is an intentional community, commune and micronation in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of the Danish capital city of Copenhagen, Christinia, Christianshavn, C ...

in Copenhagen),

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, Sweden and, finally, Germany. On June 17, 1971, he played at the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

, in the Casino Kursaal, with

King Curtis Curtis Ousley (born Curtis Montgomery; February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musician ...

, backed by

Cornell Dupree Cornell Luther Dupree (December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis and Steve Gadd, appeared on David Letterman,

on guitar,

Jerry Jemmott Gerald Stenhouse Jemmott (born March 22, 1946, in the Morrisania section of the Bronx, New York City) is an American bass guitarist. Jemmott was one of the chief session bass guitarists of the late 1960s and early 1970s, working with many of th ...

on bass and Oliver Jackson on drums. The recording of the concert was released in 1973 as the album ''King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree: Blues at Montreux'' on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

label. In the 1970s and 1980s, he lived at

Ovenden Ovenden is a village in West Yorkshire, England, next to Boothtown and Illingworth about a mile from Halifax town centre. It is also a Calderdale Ward whose population at the 2011 Census was 12,351. Ovenden railway station on the Halifax and ...

in Halifax, England, after marrying a Halifax native, Shirley Ann Harrison, whom he met in London. A piano he used was later discovered at

Calderdale College Calderdale College is a further and higher education college based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. The college is the largest provider of further education (post-16) courses and work-based learning (apprenticeships) and—through Universit ...

in Halifax. He continued to record in Europe with the Kenn Lending Band,

Louisiana Red Iverson Minter (March 23, 1932 – February 25, 2012), known as Louisiana Red, was an American blues guitarist, harmonica player, and singer, who recorded more than 50 albums. He was best known for his song "Sweet Blood Call". Biography Born ...

and

Axel Zwingenberger Axel Zwingenberger (born 7 May 1955) is a German blues and boogie-woogie pianist and songwriter. Biography Zwingenberger was born in Hamburg, West Germany, and enjoyed eleven years of classical piano training. After listening to recordings by p ...

and made many live appearances. He also worked again as a cook, specializing in

New Orleans cuisine The cuisine of New Orleans encompasses common dishes and foods in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is perhaps the most distinctively recognized regional cuisine in the United States. Some of the dishes originated in New Orleans, while others are comm ...

. He returned to the United States from time to time and performed at the

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...

. He divorced Shirley in 1976 and moved to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, where he lived in the

. This period of his life was the subject of the 1975 film ''Barrelhouse Blues - Feelings and Situations'' by the artists Laurie Grundt and Eva Acking which includes several filmed performances, including one where Dupree plays drum set. He later moved to Zurich and finally settled in

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

, Germany. He died of cancer on January 21, 1992, in Hanover.

Musical style and output

Dupree's playing was almost all straight blues and

. He was not a sophisticated musician or singer, but he had a wry and clever way with words: "Mama, move your false teeth, papa wanna scratch your gums." He sometimes sang as if he had a

cleft palate A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The ...

and even recorded under the name Harelip Jack Dupree. This was an artistic conceit, as he had clear articulation, particularly for a blues singer. He would occasionally indulge in a

vocalese Vocalese is a style of jazz singing in which words are added to an instrumental soloist's improvisation. Definition Vocalese uses recognizable lyrics that are sung to pre-existing instrumental solos, as opposed to scat singing, which uses nonsen ...

style of sung

word play Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, pho ...

(similar to Slim Gaillard's "Vout"), as in his "Mr. Dupree Blues", included on the album ''The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions''. Many of his songs were about jail, drinking and drug addiction, although he himself was a light drinker and did not use other drugs. His "Junker's Blues" was transmuted by

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

into " The Fat Man", Domino's first hit record. Some of Dupree's songs had gloomy topics, such as " TB Blues" and "Angola Blues" (about

Louisiana State Penitentiary The Louisiana State Penitentiary (known as Angola, and nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the South", "The Angola Plantation" and "The Farm"Sutton, Keith "Catfish".Out There: Angola angling. ''ESPN Outdoors''. May 31, 2006. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. ...

, the infamous Louisiana prison farm), but he also sang about cheerful subjects, as in "Dupree Shake Dance": "Come on, mama, on your hands and knees, do that shake dance as you please". He was a noted raconteur and transformed many of his stories into songs, such as "Big Leg Emma's", a rhymed tale of a police raid on a barrelhouse. The lyrics of

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis ma ...

's version of "

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (sometimes rendered "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On") is a song written by Dave "Curlee" Williams and sometimes also credited to James Faye "Roy" Hall. The song was first recorded by Big Maybelle, though the best-k ...

"—"You can shake it one time for me!"—echo Dupree's song "Shake Baby Shake". On his best-known album, ''

Blues from the Gutter ''Blues from the Gutter'' is the first album by blues musician Champion Jack Dupree. In addition to a four-star rating, ''The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings'' awarded the album a “crown”, indicating that the authors considered it an except ...

'', released by Atlantic Records in 1958, he was accompanied on guitar by

Larry Dale Larry Dale (born Ennis L. Lowery, January 7, 1923 – May 19, 2010) was an American blues singer, guitarist and session musician. Life and career He was born in Hungerford, Texas, United States. During the early 1950s he took initial inspiration o ...

, whose playing on that record inspired

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer best known as the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to prov ...

of the Rolling Stones. In later years Dupree recorded with John Mayall,

Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, he appeared on: ''Let It Bleed'' ...

, Eric Clapton and The Band. Although best known as a singer and pianist in the New Orleans style, Dupree occasionally pursued more musically adventurous projects, including ''Dupree 'N' McPhee: The 1967 Blue Horizon Session'', a collaboration with the English guitarist

Tony McPhee Anthony Charles McPhee (born 23 March 1944) is an English guitarist, and founder of the blues rock band Groundhogs. An early version of this band backed Champion Jack Dupree and John Lee Hooker on UK concerts in the mid-1960s. He is often cred ...

, recorded for

Blue Horizon (record label) Blue Horizon Records was a British blues independent record label, founded by Mike Vernon and Neil Slaven in 1965, as an adjunct to their fanzine, ''R&B Monthly'', Mike Vernon, ''The Blue Horizon story 1965-1970 vol.1'', notes of the bookl ...

. Since his death, Dupree has undergone a revival of interest on the British vintage dance scene. His recording of “Shakin’ Mother for You” now features on the playlist of most DJ’s on the UK

Lindy Hop The Lindy Hop is an American dance which was born in the Black communities of Harlem, New York City, in 1928 and has evolved since then. It was very popular during the swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy is a fusion of many danc ...

scene and it has become the ''de facto'' standard track for the ‘Cardiff Stroll’.

Discography

Studio albums

*''

'' (

, 1958) *''Champion Jack's Natural & Soulful Blues'' (Atlantic, 1959) *''Champion of the Blues'' (Atlantic, 1961) *''The Women Blues of Champion Jack Dupree'' ( Folkways, 1961) *''Trouble, Trouble'' ( Storyville, 1962) *''The Best of the Blues'' (Storyville, 1963) *''Champion Jack Dupree Of New Orleans'' (Storyville, 1965) *''From New Orleans to Chicago'' (

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

, 1966) *''When You Feel the Feeling You Was Feeling'' ( Blue Horizon, 1968) with

Paul Kossoff Paul Francis Kossoff (14 September 1950 – 19 March 1976) was an English guitarist, mainly known as the co-founder and guitarist for the rock band Free. He was ranked number 51 in ''Rolling Stone''s list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All ...

, guitar;

Duster Bennett Anthony "Duster" Bennett (23 September 1946 – 26 March 1976) was a British blues singer and musician. Based in London, his first album ''Smiling Like I'm Happy'' saw him playing as a one-man band, playing a bass drum with his foot and blowing ...

, harmonica;

Simon Kirke Simon Frederick St George Kirke (born 28 July 1949) is an English rock drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company. He has been the only continuous member of Bad Company since their inception. Life and career Kirke was born in L ...

, drums *''Scoobydoobydoo'' (Blue Horizon, 1969, UK), also released as ''Blues Masters, Vol. 10'' (Blue Horizon, 1972) *''The Heart of the Blues Is Sound'' ( BYG, 1969) *''The Incredible Champion Jack Dupree'' (

Sonet Synchronous optical networking (SONET) and synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) are standardized protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams synchronously over optical fiber using lasers or highly coherent light from light-emitting diode ...

, 1970), 12 tracks recorded in Copenhagen in 1960-63. *''The Hamburg Session'' (Happy Bird, 1974) *''Champion Jack Dupree "1977"'' (

Isadora Isidora or Isadora is a female given name of Greek origin, derived from Ἰσίδωρος, ''Isídōros'' (a compound of Ἶσις, ''Ísis'', and δῶρον, ''dōron'': "gift of he goddessIsis"). The male equivalent is Isidore. The name surviv ...

, 1977), also released as ''Hamhark & Limer Beans'' *''Back Home in New Orleans'' (Bullseye Blues, 1990) *''Forever and Ever'' (Bullseye Blues, 1991) *''One Last Time'' (Bullseye Blues, 1993)

Live albums

*''Champion Jack Dupree'' (Festival, 1971) *''Alive, "Live" and Well'' (Chrischaa, 1976) *''The Blues Jubilee Album'' (Pinorrekk, 1984) *''Live at Burnley'' (JSP, 1989) *''Jivin' with Jack: Live in Manchester, May 1966'' (Jasmine, 2002) *''Bad Luck Blues: Live with Freeway 75'' (Bad Luck Blues, 2003)

Collaborations

*''Champion Jack Dupree And His Blues Band'' featuring

Mickey Baker MacHouston "Mickey" Baker (October 15, 1925 – November 27, 2012) was an American guitarist, best known for his work as a studio musician and as part of the recording duo Mickey & Sylvia. Early life Baker was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His ...

(Decca, 1967) *''Tricks'', with

(

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

, 1968), also released as ''Anthologie du Blues, Vol. 1'' (Disques Vogue, 1968, France) *''I'm Happy to Be Free'', with Mickey Baker and

Hal Singer Harold Joseph Singer (October 8, 1919 – August 18, 2020), also known as Hal "Cornbread" Singer, was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and jazz bandleader and saxophonist. Early life Harold Joseph Singer was born in Greenwood District, Tul ...

(Vogue, 1971) *''Blues at Montreux'', with

(Atlantic, 1973) *''Freedom'', with the

Monty Sunshine Monty Sunshine (9 April 1928 – 30 November 2010) was an English jazz clarinettist, who is known for his clarinet solo on the track " Petite Fleur", a million seller for the Chris Barber Jazz Band in 1959. During his career, Sunshine worked w ...

band (Pinorrekk, 1980) *''Real Combination'', with Henry Ojutkangas (Dig It, 1980) *''I Had That Dream'', with Kenn Lending (Pinorrekk, 1982) *''Get You An Ol' Man'', with Brenda Bell and

(Paris, 1984) *''Rockin' The Boogie'', with Kenn Lending (Blue Moon, 1988) *''Sings Blues Classics'', with

(Vagabond, 1990)

References

External links

*
Illustrated Champion Jack Dupree discography
(lists 185 separate records, 1940–2010)
''Barrelhouse Blues: Feelings and Situations''
a 1975 film by Jack Dupree, Eva Acking and Laurie Grunt, Dansk Filmcentrum, at vimeo.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dupree, Champion Jack 20th-century births 1992 deaths American blues pianists American male pianists Boogie-woogie pianists Chicago blues musicians Blues musicians from New Orleans American expatriates in the United Kingdom American rhythm and blues musicians American street performers African-American pianists Jazz musicians from New Orleans King Records artists Groove Records artists Charly Records artists Apollo Records artists American prisoners of war in World War II Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Illinois 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians 20th-century African-American musicians