Eugene Floyd Phillips (May 25, 1915 – January 10, 1990) was an American

jump blues Jump blues is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues was renewed in the 1990s as ...

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

and singer. Ray Topping, Liner notes for ''Swinging the Blues'', Ace Records
Retrieved 9 October 2016

Career

He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and took up the ukulele and later the guitar as a child. He also sang, influenced by, and a fan of,

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American singer from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." His greatest fame was due to ...

, Jimmy Rushing,

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as " the King of the Jukebox", he earned his high ...

, and

Wynonie Harris Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter and rhythm-and-blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ma ...

. He joined the St Louis bands of

Dewey Jackson Dewey Jackson (June 21, 1900 – January 1, 1994) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Early life Jackson was a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Career Jackson began playing professionally at an early age, with the Odd Fellows Bo ...

and Jimmy Powell and was later taught lap

steel guitar A steel guitar ( haw, kīkākila) is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conve ...

Floyd Smith Floyd Robert Donald Smith (born May 16, 1935, in Perth, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach. Biography Smith grew up in Galt, Ontario, playing junior hockey with the Galt Black Hawks. He made his National Ho ...

. He later went on to join

Lorenzo Flennoy Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...

's Trio. A pioneer of the

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...

, he recorded with the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers, among others. In late 1945 he recorded with Lucky Thompson in a band also featuring

Marshal Royal Marshal Walton Royal Jr. (December 5, 1912 – May 8, 1995) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and clarinetist best known for his work with Count Basie, with whose band he played for nearly twenty years. Early life and education Marshal Royal ...

and

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...

. His Rhythm Aces, the band he used on his

Modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

recordings for the Bihari Brothers, included

Jake Porter Jake Vernon Haven Porter (August 3, 1916 – March 25, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter and record producer. Born in Oakland, California, Porter started playing violin at age seven and switched to cornet at nine. He played locally in the ...

, trumpet; drummer

Al "Cake" Wichard Al "Cake" Wichard (born Albert C. Wichard, August 15, 1918 or 1919 — November 14, 1959) was an American blues and jazz drummer, especially active as a recording artist in the late 1940s. Biography He was born in Morrilton, Arkansas Morril ...

; Maxwell Davis, Marshal Royal, Jack McVea, Bumps Meyers,

Willard McDaniel Willard McDaniel (November 15, 1915 – December 13, 1961) was an American jazz and blues singer and pianist. He was born in Stamps, Arkansas. He started playing the piano at an early age. He lived in California from the mid-1930s, where he b ...

, Lloyd Glenn, Bill Street and Art Edwards. His repertoire included "Big Fat Mama", "Big Legs", "Fatso", and "Punkin' Head Woman". Phillips died in Lakewood, California, in 1990.

References

External links

Partial discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Gene 1915 births 1990 deaths Jump blues musicians American blues singers American blues guitarists American male guitarists Modern Records artists Musicians from St. Louis 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American singers Singers from Missouri Guitarists from Missouri 20th-century American male singers