Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He played with some of the most influential blues and

rock-and-roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

performers of his time and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the

Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum located at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1 ...

Life and career

Early career

Perkins was born in

Belzoni, Mississippi Belzoni ( ) is a city in Humphreys County, Mississippi, United States, in the Mississippi Delta region, on the Yazoo River. The population was 2,235 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Humphreys County. It was named for the 19th-centur ...

and raised on a plantation in Honey Island, Mississippi. He began his career as a guitarist but then injured the

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...

s in his left arm in a knife fight with a chorus girl in

Helena, Arkansas Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler of Phillips County and the n ...

in the 1940s. Unable to play the guitar, he switched to the piano. He also moved from

Robert Nighthawk Robert Lee McCollum (November 30, 1909 – November 5, 1967) was an American blues musician who played and recorded under the pseudonyms Robert Lee McCoy and Robert Nighthawk. He was the father of the blues musician Sam Carr. Nighthawk was i ...

's radio program on KFFA to Sonny Boy Williamson's ''

King Biscuit Time :''"King Biscuit Time" is also the name under which ex- Beta Band frontman Steve Mason releases his solo work.'' ''King Biscuit Time'' is the longest-running daily American radio broadcast in history. The program is broadcast each weekday from ...

''. He continued working with Nighthawk, however, accompanying him on "Jackson Town Gal" in 1950. In the 1950s, Perkins joined

Earl Hooker Earl Zebedee Hooker (January 15, 1930 – April 21, 1970) was a Chicago blues guitarist known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", he performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and ...

and began touring. He recorded "

Pinetop's Boogie Woogie "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" is a song initially recorded on December 29, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was released on March 1, 1929 by Clarence "Pinetop" Smith on Vocalion Records, a piano rag that cemented boogie-woogie as the nam ...

" at

Sam Phillips Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003) was an American record producer. He was the founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he produced recordings by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, ...

Sun Studio Sun Studio is a recording studio opened by rock-and-roll pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 3, 1950. It was originally called Memphis Recording Service, sharing the same building with the Sun Records label ...

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. The tune was written by

Pinetop Smith Clarence Smith (June 11, 1904 – March 15, 1929), better known as Pinetop Smith or Pine Top Smith, was an American boogie-woogie style blues pianist. His hit tune "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" featured rhythmic "breaks" that were an essential i ...

, who created the original recording in 1928. Perkins didn't write; he "got as high as third grade in school." He learned to play-off Smith's records. As Perkins recalled, "They used to call me 'Pinetop' because I played that song." Perkins then relocated to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and left the music business until Hooker persuaded him to record again in 1968. Perkins replaced Otis Spann in the

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago ...

band when Spann left the band in 1969. After ten years with that organization, he formed the Legendary Blues Band with

Willie "Big Eyes" Smith Willie Lee "Big Eyes" Smith (January 19, 1936 – September 16, 2011) was an American electric blues vocalist, harmonica player, and drummer. He was best known for several stints with the Muddy Waters band beginning in the early 1960s. Biograp ...

, recording from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.

Later career

Perkins played a brief musical cameo on the street outside Aretha's Soul Food Cafe in the 1980 movie ''

The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...

'', having an argument with John Lee Hooker over who wrote " Boom Boom." He also appeared in the 1987 movie ''

Angel Heart ''Angel Heart'' is a 1987 American neo-noir psychological horror film, an adaptation of William Hjortsberg's 1978 novel ''Falling Angel''. The film was written and directed by Alan Parker, and stars Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, an ...

'' as a member of guitarist Toots Sweet's band. Perkins was a sideman on countless recordings but never had an album devoted solely to his artistry until '' After Hours'', released by

Blind Pig Records Blind Pig Records is an American blues independent record label. Blind Pig was formed in 1977 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, by Jerry Del Giudice, owner of the Blind Pig Cafe, and his friend Edward Chmelewski. The label is now based in San Francisco. I ...

in 1988. The tour in support of the album featured

Jimmy Rogers Jimmy Rogers (June 3, 1924December 19, 1997) was an American Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player, best known for his work as a member of Muddy Waters's band in the early 1950s. He also had a solo career and recorded several pop ...

and guitarist

Hubert Sumlin Hubert Charles Sumlin (November 16, 1931 – December 4, 2011) was a Chicago blues guitarist and singer, best known for his "wrenched, shattering bursts of notes, sudden cliff-hanger silences and daring rhythmic suspensions" as a member of Howlin ...

. The death of Perkins's common law wife, Sara Lewis, in 1995, triggered a depression and periods of drinking. In 1998, he released the album ''Legends'', featuring Sumlin. In 2001, Perkins performed at the Chicago Blues Festival with

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

. Turner credited Perkins with inspiring him to play piano. Honeyboy and Pinetop

Perkins was driving his automobile in 2004 in La Porte, Indiana, when his car was hit by a train. The car was wrecked, but the 91-year-old driver was not seriously hurt. Until his death, Perkins lived in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

. He usually performed a couple of nights a week at Momo's, on Sixth Street. The song "Hey Mr. Pinetop Perkins", performed by Perkins and

Angela Strehli Angela Strehli (born November 22, 1945) is an American electric blues singer and songwriter. She is also a Texas blues historian and impresario. Despite a sporadic recording career, Strehli spends time each year performing in Europe, the US an ...

, played on the common misconception that he wrote "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie": ::Hey Mr. Pinetop Perkins ::I got a question for you ::How'd you write that first boogie woogie ::The one they named after you As he aged, Perkins's hearing declined.

Death

On March 21, 2011, Perkins died in his sleep of cardiac arrest at his home in Austin, Texas at the age of 97. Multiple memorial services were held in Perkins's honor in cities throughout the United States. The

Ground Zero Blues Club Ground Zero is a blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi that is co-owned by Morgan Freeman, Memphis entertainment executive Howard Stovall, and Eric Meier. Attorney Bill Luckett was also co-owner until his death in 2021. It got its name from t ...

in Clarksdale, Mississippi held a dedicated jam on March 31, 2011, for friends and fans of Perkins. A music-filled open-casket funeral for Perkins was held in Austin, Texas on March 29, 2011, and was attended by several fellow musicians including Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and

Bob Margolin Bob Margolin (born May 9, 1949) is an American electric blues guitarist. His nickname is Steady Rollin'. Biography Margolin started playing guitar in 1964, and his first appearance on record was with Boston psychedelic band The Freeborne, and t ...

. Perkins was laid to rest in the McLaurin Memorial Garden cemetery in Clarksdale on April 2, 2011, following a final open-casket "homegoing" celebration. The finally laying to rest was ministered by Henry Epsy, the first Black mayor of Clarksdale, and the altar display included Perkins's favorite meal: a McDonald's Big Mac and apple pie. At the time of his death, he had more than 20 performances booked for 2011. Shortly before he died, while discussing his late career resurgence with an interviewer, he conceded, "I can't play piano like I used to either. I used to have bass rolling like thunder. I can't do that no more. But I ask the Lord, please forgive me for the stuff I done trying to make a nickel." Perkins and

David "Honeyboy" Edwards David "Honeyboy" Edwards (June 28, 1915 – August 29, 2011) was a Delta blues guitarist and singer from Mississippi. Biography Edwards was born in Shaw, Mississippi.

were the last surviving original Delta blues musicians. Perkins was also one of the last surviving bluesmen to have known

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

Legacy

Influence

Bruce Iglauer Bruce Iglauer (born July 10, 1947) is an American businessman and record producer who founded Alligator Records as an independent record label featuring blues music. Early life and career Iglauer was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States ...

, founder of Chicago's

Alligator Records Alligator Records is an American, Chicago-based independent blues record label founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971. Iglauer was also one of the founders of the '' Living Blues'' magazine in Chicago in 1970. History Iglauer started the label using ...

, stated Perkins was "absolutely the premier blues piano player." He added, "His career spanned literally over 80 years. He was the symbol of a whole generation of musicians." Perkins influenced blues musicians such as

, who he taught how to play piano. "Pinetop would be the birth of rock 'n' roll, because he taught me what I played," Turner said. Perkins collaborated with various bluesmen, including

, and

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

Pinetop Perkins Foundation

In the late musician's honor, the Pinetop Perkins Foundation holds annual workshops for young musicians interested in Blues and Jazz music. The workshop, which usually occurs in Clarksdale, Mississippi but was made virtual during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, provides young musicians master classes with some of the best living talent in the traditional Blues and Jazz genres, and culminates in a performance at the Ground Zero Blues Club by the students. The other arm of the foundation provides financial relief to aging musicians through a program called the Pinetop Assistance League; with a goal of ensuring that elderly musicians who can no longer earn an income can pay their housing and medical costs in order to have comfort and dignity in their later years.

Awards and honors

Perkins was named a National Heritage Fellow by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

in 2000. In 2003, Perkins was inducted into the

. In 2005, Perkins received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, Perkins, together with

Henry Townsend Henry Townsend may refer to: * Henry Townsend (Norwich) (1626–1695), early American colonist born in Norwich, Norfolk, England * Henry Townsend (Oyster Bay) (1649–1703), American colonist born in Oyster Bay * Henry Townsend (missionary) (1815� ...

Robert Lockwood, Jr. Robert Lockwood Jr. (March 27, 1915 – November 21, 2006) was an American Delta blues guitarist, who recorded for Chess Records and other Chicago labels in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the only guitarist to have learned to play directly ...

and

David "Honeyboy" Edwards David "Honeyboy" Edwards (June 28, 1915 – August 29, 2011) was a Delta blues guitarist and singer from Mississippi. Biography Edwards was born in Shaw, Mississippi.

, received a

Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by ...

for '' Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live in Dallas''. He was also nominated in the same category for his solo album ''Pinetop Perkins on the 88's: Live in Chicago''. At the age of 97, Perkins won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in the category

Best Traditional Blues Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album was awarded from 1983 to 2011 and from 2017 onwards. Until 1992 the award was known as Best Traditional Blues Performance and was twice awarded to individual tracks rather than albums. The award w ...

for ''Joined at the Hip'', which he recorded with

, thus becoming the oldest winner of a Grammy Award, edging out the comedian

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...

, who had won in the spoken word category 21 years earlier.

Documentaries

Perkins has been the subject of two documentary films: ''Born in the Honey'' (2007) and ''Sidemen: Long Road to Glory'' (2016). He also appeared in Clint Eastwood's 2003 documentary ''

Piano 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 ...

''.

Selected discography

* 1976: ''Boogie Woogie King'', recorded 1976, released 1992 * 1988: '' After Hours'' * 1992: ''Pinetop Perkins with the Blue Ice Band'' * 1992: ''On Top'' * 1993: ''Portrait of a Delta Bluesman'' * 1995: ''Live Top'', with the Blue Flames * 1996: ''Eye to Eye'', with

Ronnie Earl :''This article refers to the musician. For the district attorney of Travis County, Texas, see Ronnie Earle.'' Ronnie Earl (born Ronald Horvath, March 10, 1953, Queens, New York, United States) is an American blues guitarist and music instructo ...

and

Calvin "Fuzz" Jones Calvin "Fuzz" Jones (June 9, 1926 – August 9, 2010) was an American electric blues bassist and singer. He worked with many blues musicians, including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, the Legendary Blues Band, Mississippi Heat, James Cotton, Luther ...

* 1997: '' Born in the Delta'' * 1998: '' Sweet Black Angel'' * 1998: ''Legends'', with

* 1998: ''Down in Mississippi'' * 1999: ''Live at 85!'', with George Kilby Jr * 2000: '' Back on Top'' * 2003: ''Heritage of the Blues: The Complete Hightone Sessions'' * 2003: ''All Star Blues Jam'', with Bob Margolin and others * 2003: ''8 Hands on 88 Keys: Chicago Blues Piano Masters'' * 2004: ''Ladies Man'' * 2007: ''10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads'', with

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst; June 12, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced significant commercial success as a blues artist. Life and career Shepherd wa ...

and the Muddy Waters Band, recorded live * 2007: ''

Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down ''Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down'' is a blues album by Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, and James Cotton. It was recorded live in 1977, and released in 2007. It reached number 3 on the ''Billboard'' Blues Albums chart. Production In January 1977, ...

'' – with

Johnny Winter John Dawson Winter III (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014) was an American singer and guitarist. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums and live performances in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also produced three Grammy Award-win ...

, and

James Cotton James Henry Cotton (July 1, 1935 – March 16, 2017) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many fellow blues artists and with his own band. He also played drums early in his career. ...

* 2008: ''Pinetop Perkins and Friends'' * 2010: ''Joined at the Hip'', with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith * 2012: ''Heaven'', with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on one track and liner notes by Justin O'Brien * 2015: ''Genuine Blues Legends'', Pinetop Perkins and

with Little Mike and the Tornadoes With Carey Bell *'' Carey Bell's Blues Harp'' (Delmark, 1969) *'' Last Night'' (BluesWay, 1973) With

*''

2 Bugs and a Roach ''2 Bugs and a Roach'' is an album by blues musician Earl Hooker released by the Arhoolie label in 1969.Am ...

'' (Arhoolie, 1969) With

*''

Live at Mr. Kelly's ''Live at Mister Kelly's'', often stylized as ''"Live" (At Mr. Kelly's)'', is a live album by blues musician Muddy Waters released by the Chess label in 1971.Can't Get No Grindin' ''Can't Get No Grindin is an album by blues musician Muddy Waters released by the Chess label in 1973."Unk" in Funk'' (Chess, 1974) *'' The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album'' (Chess, 1975) *''

Hard Again ''Hard Again'' is a studio album by American blues singer Muddy Waters. Released on January 10, 1977, it was the first of his albums produced by Johnny Winter. ''Hard Again'' was Waters's first album on Blue Sky Records after leaving Chess Record ...

'' (Blue Sky, 1977)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Pinetop 1913 births 2011 deaths African-American guitarists American blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues pianists American male pianists American blues singers Blues musicians from Mississippi Boogie-woogie pianists Chicago blues musicians Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners National Heritage Fellowship winners People from Belzoni, Mississippi 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American pianists Guitarists from Illinois Guitarists from Mississippi Telarc Records artists 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century African-American male singers Black & Blue Records artists Blind Pig Records artists African-American pianists The Legendary Blues Band members