Lester Butler (November 12, 1959May 9, 1998)
was an American
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
harmonica player and singer. He achieved fame as the singer and harmonica player for the Los Angeles, California,
blues rock
Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
band, the
Red Devils
Biography
Butler was born in the U.S. state of
Virginia. The Red Devils released one album, 1992's ''King King'', which producer
Rick Rubin released on his
Def American record label.
In June 1992, the Red Devils recorded 13 tracks (and numerous alternate takes) with
Mick Jagger, again produced by Rubin. Though not issued at the time, one song, "
Checkin' Up on My Baby", was officially released in 2007 on ''
The Very Best of Mick Jagger''. The Devils also recorded songs with
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
, which were released in 2003 on the posthumous Cash
boxed set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
''
Unearthed''.
After the breakup of the Red Devils, Butler fronted the band, 13, releasing one self-titled album on
Hightone Records in 1997. Butler achieved his greatest fame in Europe,
especially the Netherlands. He died of an
overdose of heroin and
cocaine on May 9, 1998, in Los Angeles at the age of 38.
Two friends, who were involved in his overdose, were convicted of manslaughter.
Discography
* ''
King King'' – The Red Devils (Def American, 1992)
* ''Blackwater Roll'' (4-song EP) – The Red Devils (This Way Up/Def American, 1993)
* ''13 Featuring Lester Butler'' – 13 featuring Lester Butler (Hightone, 1997)
* ''Live @ Tamines 1997'' – Lester Butler featuring 13 (Rockbeat, 2015)
Butler also recorded harmonica with several other musicians:
*
Billy Boy Arnold"Shake Your Hips", which appears on the album, ''Back Where I Belong'' (
Alligator, 1993)
*
King Ernest"Black Bag Blues", on ''
King of Hearts'' (
Evidence Music, 1997)
*
R. L. Burnside
R. L. Burnside (November 23, 1926 – September 1, 2005) was an American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He played music for much of his life but received little recognition before the early 1990s. In the latter half of that decade, Bur ...
"It's Bad You Know", on ''Come On In'' (
Fat Possum, 1998)
*
Rancid"Intro", on ''
Life Won't Wait
''Life Won't Wait'' is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on June 30, 1998 through Epitaph Records. It was released as the follow-up to '' ...And Out Come the Wolves'' (1995).
Writing and production ...
'' (
Epitaph, 1998)
References
External links
No Fightin': The Red Devils, Lester Butler and California blues, rock and roots music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Lester
1959 births
1998 deaths
American blues singers
American blues harmonica players
Harmonica blues musicians
20th-century American singers