Joe Maphis
Otis W. "Joe" Maphis (born May 12, 1921 in Suffolk , Virginia , † June 27, 1986 ) was an American country and rockabilly musician. He is considered to be one of the most virtuoso guitarists of his time and has had an enormous influence on other country and rockabilly guitarists alike. His nickname was " King of the Strings " ("King of the Strings").
Life
Childhood and youth
Born in Suffolk, Joe Maphis grew up around Cumberland , Maryland . One saw his special talent early on. As a teenager he learned guitar , mandolin , fiddle and double bass . He was particularly influenced by "Mother" Maybelle Carter , a member of the Carter Family, which was sufficiently heard on the radio.
Career
Maphis began his career in 1939 in Wheeling , West Virginia , where he appeared on the well-known radio shows Boone County Jamboree and Old Dominion Barn Dance . He was also a member of the WLS National Barn Dance in Chicago . During the war he performed with the soldiers in the Pacific to entertain them. While performing at the Old Dominion Barn Dance , he met the young country singer Rose Lee Schemtropf, better known as Rose Lee . The two married in Los Angeles in 1951 . Together they moved to the west coast of the USA. After they had recorded a few records with Lariat Records, they signed a contract with Okeh Records . Her most successful and best known song, Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, dates from this time . The title deals with the honky tonks found in Texas , in which it is often very smoky. At that time, Maphis also had a special guitar made, the Double-Neck Guitar from Mosrite.
At the same time, Rose Lee and Maphis became members of the famous Town Hall Party , one of the most famous radio and TV shows in America, where stars like Johnny Cash and Bob Luman performed. When the two Collins Kids performed there for the first time, Maphis began to teach the young guitarist Larry Collins and accompanied her on the guitar, during their performances and during the recordings. In 1955 he moved to Columbia Records , where he first recorded instrumentals such as Fire On The Strings and Guitar Rock'n'Roll . He also worked as a session musician. He can be heard on recordings by Johnny Burnette , Skeets McDonald , Wanda Jackson and Rose Maddox, among others .
After Maphis and Rose Lee joined Capitol Records in 1960 , they joined Starday in 1963 . In 1968 the two moved to Nashville , Tennessee . There Maphis also recorded some records for Moserite Records that were produced by Bill Woods . In Nashville he also discovered the young Barbara Mandrell , who would later become a successful country singer. Maphis continued to make records and performed with Rosa Lee until his death. He also released several albums with another guitar virtuoso, Merle Travis .
Joe Maphis died on June 27, 1986 of complications from lung cancer at the age of 65.
Discography
Singles
| year | title | Label # | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (and Loud Loud Music) /? | OKeh | ||||
| Honky Tonk Down Town / The Parting of the Way (with Rose Lee) | Columbia | ||||
| You Ain't Got Sense / Your Old Love Letters | Columbia 4-21427 | ||||
| 1956 | Fire on the Strings / I Love You Deeply | Columbia 4-21479 | |||
| 1956 | I'm Willin 'to Try / Let's Pull Together (with Rose Lee) | Columbia | |||
| 1956 | Guitar Rock'n'Roll / Teenage Two Step | Columbia 4-21518 | |||
| Bully of the Town / Flogging the Banjo | Columbia 4-21547 | ||||
| 1957 |
Swinging Strings (with Larry Collins)
|
Columbia B-2141 | |||
Fire on the strings
|
Columbia B-10051 | ||||
| Town Hall Shuffle / Sweet Fern | Columbia 40882 | ||||
| A Picture, a Ring and a Curl / I Gotta 'Lotta' Lovin ' | Columbia 41004 | ||||
| 1959 | Short Recess / Moonshot | Columbia 4-41353 | |||
| 1960 | Water Baby Boogie / Black Sombrero | Republic 2006 | |||
| 1964 | Hot Rod Guitar / Lonesome Jailhouse Blues | Starday 683 | |||
| 1967 | Thunder Road / Spanish Dobro | Dominion 105 | |||
| 1969 | Gee Aren't Wee Lucky / Guitar Happy (with Rose Lee) | Chart 5029 | |||
| 1970 | Run That By Me One More Time / I Don't Care (with Rose Lee) | Chart 5074 | |||
| 1971 | Slippin ', Pickin', Fiddlin '/ If I'm Gonna Have Your Lovin' (Rose Lee) | Chart 5122 | |||
| Unpublished titles | |||||
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Albums
- 1964: Merle Travis & Joe Maphis (Capitol, with Merle Travis )
- 1971: Guitaration Gap (Chart, with Jody Maphis)
- 1981: Down Life's Highway (Brylen, with Johnny Dollar )
- 1982: Country Guitar Thunder (CMH, with Merle Travis)
- 1983: Volume 2 (Brylen, with Jody Maphis)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Maphis, Joe |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Maphis, Otis W .; King of Strings |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country and rockabilly musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 12, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Suffolk , Virginia |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 27, 1986 |