Jimmy Evans
Jimmy Evans (born 1936 or 1938 in Mariana , Arkansas , † 2011 ) was an American rockabilly musician . As a multi-instrumentalist, Evans played with stars like Pat Boone , Jerry Lee Lewis , George Jones , Eddie Bond and Billy Lee Riley .
Life
Childhood and youth
Jimmy Evans was born in Arkansas, not far from Memphis , Tennessee , in 1936 (other sources after 1938) . He was influenced by both blues and country and grew up in a musical family. When Evans' vocal talent emerged, his aunt arranged for an audition with Sam Phillips , owner of Sun Records in Memphis, in 1954 . Phillips was of the opinion that Evans was too young and turned down a contract. While in high school, Evans formed his own band to have a show with on KXJK in Forest City , Arkansas.
Career
After Evans graduated from high school, he returned to Sun and this time was hired by Phillips as a musician. Mainly as a studio musician, Evans was used for Sun, mostly he played on demo tapes by new artists who did not have their own band. He can be heard on songs by Mack Self , Charlie Rich and others, among others. Evans quickly made friends with studio pianist Jimmy Wilson , who lived in an apartment next to the Sun Studio, which was also where Evans was staying.
In 1956 Evans became bassist in Conway Twitty's new band. Evans had previously played on some of Twitty's demo recordings on Sun, which had been made under Twitty's real name, Harold Jenkins. Evans played bass for Twitty on his first session for Mercury Records and wrote the song Why Can't I Get Through to You . As a member of the background band, Evans was also taken on tours through the US and Canada .
Evans was hoping to finally get his own record out on Sun, but Sam Phillips was busy with his rockabilly musicians, and Evans was still singing country at the time. He then wrote his own rockabilly song The Joint's Really Jumpin ' , which he published in 1962 on the advice of Gene Simmons on the small Clearmont label. Simmons' brother Carl Simmons ( guitar ), his friend Jimmy Wilson ( piano ) and Jesse Carter (bass) played on the recording .
Before that, he had played with Ronnie Hawkins for two years . He joined his backing band, the Hawks , in 1958 and is on Hawkins' first two albums for Roulette Records and hits Mary Lou and Ruby Baby . In 1960 he left the band because he wanted to advance his own career.
After the release of The Joint's Really Jumpin ' Evans finally managed to jump into the charts himself with Messy Bessy for Shimmy Records. Four of his 22 singles hit the charts. As a songwriter, he was able to record success with the song It Wouldn't Happen with Me , as it was covered by Johnny Rivers and Jerry Lee Lewis. After rockabilly lost its popularity, he switched back to country music. In 1968 he stopped touring, but continued to play with his band in Arkansas and was a member of the Arkansas Jamborees for eight years .
In 1984 Evans recorded the song Pink Cadillac for the Twin label . To get the typical rockabilly sound, the recording with Evans' slap bass was mixed in afterwards. Jimmy Evans performed regularly in Arkansas until his death, performed in Europe and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame .
Discography
Discography is not exhaustive.
| year | title | Label # |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Joint's Really Jumpin '/ I Just Don't Love You | Clearmont C-502 |
| The Joint's Really Jumpin '/ I Just Don't Love You | Caveman C-502 | |
| Messy Bessy / Since You're Gone | Shimmy 1054 | |
| Fooled Again / Suspicion | River R-500 | |
| 1968 | Dudley Do-Rite / Call Me Mister Lonesome | Rebel-Ace 737 |
| 1984 | Pink Cadillac / Leaving Albuquerque (as Jimmy Dale Evans) | Twin TR 11982 |
| Unpublished titles | ||
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Status unknown | |
Albums
- 1993: The Joint's Really Jumpin ' (NL)
- 2001: Rock-a-Billy at It's Finest
- 2003: Arkansas's Been Rockin '
Web links
- biography
- Entry into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
- Mellow's Log Cabin: Jimmy Evans on Clearmont
- Discography with audio samples
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Evans, Jimmy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rockabilly musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1936 or 1938 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mariana , Arkansas |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2011 |