Jazz Gillum
William McKinley Gillum (born September 11, 1904 in Indianola , Mississippi , † March 29, 1966 in Chicago , Illinois ), known as Jazz Gillum , was an American blues and hokum musician. Alongside Sonny Boy Williamson I , he was the most popular harmonica player in Chicago in the 1930s.
Like BB King , born in Indianola, Gillum taught himself to play the blues harp . After running away from his foster father at the age of 7, he spent the next few years with relatives in Charleston , Mississippi, where he worked and made music on street corners.
In 1923 he went to Chicago. Here he often performed with guitarist Big Bill Broonzy . Gillum made his first recordings in 1934.
In the 1930s and 1940s he appeared both under his own name and as an accompanist on many of the records produced by Lester Melrose . After Bluebird Records ended , Gillum's career was over. In 1961 he made again recordings with Memphis Slim .
Jazz Gillum died in 1966 after being shot in the head in an argument.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gillum, jazz |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gillum, William McKinley (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American blues musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 11, 1904 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Indianola , Mississippi |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 29, 1966 |
| Place of death | Chicago , Illinois |