Jerry McCain, often billed as Jerry "Boogie" McCain (June 18, 1930 – March 28, 2012), was an American

electric blues Electric blues refers to any type of blues music distinguished by the use of electric amplifier, amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified and used by early pioneers T-Bone Walker in the ...

musician, best known as a

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

player.

Biography

Born near

Gadsden, Alabama Gadsden is a city in and the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is located on the Coosa River about northeast of Birmingham and southwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, he was one of five children of a poor family. Many of his siblings also became involved in music, most notably his brother, Walter, who played drums on some early

recordings A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

. McCain picked up the harmonica from itinerant musicians "Chick" and "Shorty" who played at the local bars (and street corners) when he was young. McCain was a fan of the music of

Little Walter Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...

and met the artist when, in 1953, he traveled to Gadsden for a show. McCain's recording debut came via

Trumpet Records Trumpet Records was an American record company founded by Lillian McMurry in Jackson, Mississippi in 1951. Although it existed for only four years, it was influential. History The goal of Trumpet Records was to record musicians from the Mississip ...

the same year under the name "Boogie McCain", with his brother Walter on drums. The two tracks were "East of the Sun" and "Wine-O-Wine". After recruiting Christopher Collins, who would be with him throughout most of his career, he went on to the Excello label. During his years with the Excello (1955–57) he developed his amplified harmonica style, and unusual blues

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...

. The Excello Label period saw the release of such noted songs as "The Jig's Up", and "My Next Door Neighbor". His later recording for Rex Records "She's Tough" / "Steady" was an inspiration to

The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974. Career After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Records ...

, and

Kim Wilson Kim Wilson (born January 6, 1951) is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for the Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s, " Tuff Enuff" (which was the group's only Top 40 ...

duplicated McCain's harp work on their version. McCain also released singles and albums for Columbia, under their

Okeh Records Okeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name was spelled "OkeH" from the initials of Ott ...

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...

(1962), and for the Shreveport-based Jewel (1965–68) record label. The complete collection of his Jewel label records are available on a

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

and, in recent years, several of his early recordings have been released on "retrospective" and compilation CDs, including the Verose Vintage album, ''Good Stuff''. His longest partner,

Ichiban Records Ichiban Records is an American independent record label, founded in 1985 by John Abbey and Nina Easton in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. History Wrap Records and Nastymix Records were some of its subsidiary labels. Urgent! Records and Mr. Henr ...

, also released several retrospectives in the 1990s, including ICH1516-2: ''Jerry McCain''. In 1989, after a period spent performing and touring with lesser known bands, McCain signed with

, and released the albums: ''Blues and Stuff'', ''Struttin' My Stuff'', and ''Love Desperado''. During his time with Ichiban, McCain also released one record on the Jericho label, ''This Stuff Just Kills Me'', which featured

Jimmie Vaughan Jimmie Vaughan (born March 20, 1951) is an American blues rock guitarist and singer based in Austin, Texas. He is the older brother of the late Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Several notable blues guitarists have had a significant ...

and Johnnie Johnson. His 1977 release, ''This Stuff Just Kills Me'' eventually appeared on the Music Maker label. In 2002, Ichiban released an album called ''American Roots: Blues'' featuring McCain. McCain's abridged work was featured on track 8 of the

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

''Blues Masters Volume Four: Harmonica Classics'', with an almost lost recording of "Steady". McCain's inclusion in the Blues Master series, was alongside Little Walter,

Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with blues as well as non-blues audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), " ...

Junior Wells Junior Wells (born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., December 9, 1934January 15, 1998) was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his signature song "Messin' with the Kid" and his 1965 album ''Hoodoo Man Blues'' ...

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade care ...

Snooky Pryor James Edward "Snooky" Pryor (September 15, 1919 or 1921 – October 18, 2006) was an American Chicago blues harmonica player. He claimed to have pioneered the now-common method of playing amplified harmonica by cupping a small microphone in his ...

, and

George "Harmonica" Smith George "Harmonica" Smith (born Allen George Smith, April 22, 1924 – October 2, 1983) was an American electric blues harmonica player. Apart from his solo recordings, Smith is best known for his work backing both Muddy Waters and Big Mama Thornt ...

. The City of Gadsden honored McCain by including his own day at their annual Riverfest Event; a four-day music event. The addition of The Jerry McCain Broad Street Blues Bash rounded out the entertainment and allowed many local citizens to experience McCain. A commemorative CD, featuring some of McCain's music, was compiled for sale at the 1997 Riverfest Event. In 1996, McCain was selected by the Etowah Youth Orchestras as the most well-known musician from Gadsden. The EYO commissioned the composer Julius Williams to write a work for solo harmonica and orchestra, to be performed by McCain and the Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra, as a part of the City of Gadsden's Sesquicentennial Celebration. "Concerto for Blues Harmonica and Orchestra" was premiered in November 1996, on the EYO's Fall Formal Concert at Wallace Hall, on the campus of Gadsden State Community College. McCain performed the solo harmonica part with the EYSO, under the direction of Michael R. Gagliardo. The "Concerto" was subsequently performed in Alice Tully Hall, at the

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in June 1997, with McCain, the EYSO, and Julius Williams conducting.

Discography

Albums

* 1973 : ''Jerry McCain'' (Romulus R-108) * 1978 : ''Living Legend'' (Zeus S-1021) * 1979 : ''Blues on the Move'' Robox EQL-1912) * 1979 : ''Choo Choo Rock'' (White Label WLP 9966) Demo recordings for Excello Records 1955-1957 * 1980 : ''Black & Blues'' (Gas Company GAS 1001) reissued as Black Blues Is Back 1989 (GAS 1001) * 1981 : ''Southern Harp, Cadillac & The Blues'' (P-Vine PLP-715) Japan * 1986 : ''Bad Blues Is My Business'' (BAD 30001) * 1987 : ''Midnight Beat'' (Charly CRB 1148) UK * 1989 : ''Blues 'n' Stuff'' (Ichiban ICHCD 1047) * 1991 : ''Love Desperado'' (Ichiban ICHCD 9008) * 1991 : ''Rockin' Harmonica Blues Man'' with Kid Thomas (Wolf WBJ 018) * 1992 : ''Struttin' My Stuff'' (Ichiban/Wild Dog ICH-9020-CD) * 1993 : ''Jerry 'Boogie' McCain and Others - Strange Kind of Feelin (Alligator) 1950s recordings * 1993 : ''I've Got The Blues All Over Me'' (Ichiban/Wild Dog ICH-9106-2) * 1995 : ''That's What They Want: The Best Of'' (AVI/Excello CD 3009) * 1996 : ''Turn Your Damper Down'' (Black & Allright LP001) * 1997 : ''Rock'n'Roll Ball'' (Atomic Bomb LP 701) * 1997 : ''Broad Street Blues Bash'' (Riverfest CD001) * 1998 : ''The Jig's Up: Complete 50's Recordings'' (JMC CD2111) * 1998 : ''Retospectives'' (Ichiban ICH 1516-2) * 1999 : ''This Stuff Just Kills Me'' ( Music Maker) with

John Primer John Primer (born March 5, 1945, Camden, Mississippi, United States) is an American Chicago blues and electric blues singer and guitarist who played behind Junior Wells in the house band at Theresa's Lounge and as a member of the bands of Willi ...

. * 1999 : ''Good Stuff!'' (Varèse Sarabande VSD-6022) * 2000 : ''Somebody's Been Talking: The Complete Jewel Singles 1965-72'' (Westside WESM 625) * 2000 : ''Soul Shag'' (Sterling 20702) UK * 2000 : ''This Stuff Just Kills Me'' (Jericho/Cello 90005-2) * 2000 : ''Southern Harp Attack'' with Frank Frost (P-Vine PCD-24047) Japan * 2001 : ''Unplugged'' (Music Maker JM 200) * 2001 : ''Absolutely The Best:Complete Jewel Singles 1965-1972'' (Varèse Sarabande/Fuel2000 302061098-2) * 2002 : ''American Roots: Blues'' (Ichiban CD 1018) * 2003 : ''Boogie Is My Name'' (Music Maker MMCD 34) * 2008 : ''Better Late Than Never – The Greatest Hits'' 2 CD (Boogie Down Records 2008)

Singles

References

External links

*
Music Maker
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCain, Jerry 1930 births 2012 deaths American blues harmonica players Musicians from Gadsden, Alabama Harmonica blues musicians Jewel Records artists Okeh Records artists Blues musicians from Alabama Trumpet Records artists