Pee Wee Crayton

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Pee Wee Crayton (actually Connie Curtis Crayton ; born December 18, 1914 in Rockdale , Texas , † June 25, 1985 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American blues singer and guitarist.

Influenced by T-Bone Walker , Crayton created hits like Texas Hop , Pee Wee's Boogie and Poppa Stoppa . He supposedly got his nickname "Pee Wee" from none other than Roy Brown .

biography

Crayton was born in Rockdale, Texas and grew up in Austin . In the school band he played the ukulele and trumpet . In 1935 he moved from Texas to San Francisco; later he lived in Los Angeles. It was not until 1944 that he started playing guitar after seeing a performance by T-Bone Walker . The two became friends, and T-Bone taught Crayton the most important tricks on the guitar. He quickly developed his own distinctive style. Aggressive guitar playing with a soft voice became his trademark and later often copied.

78er by Pee Wee Crayton: "Blues After Hours" (1948)

Crayton formed a trio and from then on earned his living as a musician. He also played in the band of Ivory Joe Hunter , on whose recordings he participated in 1946. In 1947 Crayton's first recordings were made under his own name; he signed a record deal with Modern Records and in 1948 he had a number 1 hit in the R&B charts with "Blues After Hours" . He then recorded with some record companies, u. a. at Imperial in New Orleans, Jamie in Philadelphia, and Vee-Jay Records in Chicago. It is reported that he was the first blues guitarist to play a Fender Stratocaster , which was given to him personally by Leo Fender.

In the 1960s it almost completely disappeared from the scene; It was not until 1971 that he released the album Things I Used to Do on Vanguard . After that, his career took off again. He toured and recorded a few more albums before succumbing to a heart attack in 1985. He died in his home in Topanga near Los Angeles. He is buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery.

In the course of his long career, Crayton entered the US a. a. with Big Joe Turner , Lowell Fulson , T-Bone Walker , Ray Charles , Big Maybelle and Dinah Washington .

Discography

  • 1959 Pee Wee Crayton - Crown
  • 1971 The Things I Used to Do - Vanguard
  • 1982 Blue Guitar Genius, Vol. 1 - Ace
  • 1982 Everyday I Have the Blues - Pablo
  • 1982 Peace of Mind -Charly Records
  • 1982 Rocking Down on Central Avenue
  • 1983 Make Way for Pee Wee - Murray Brothers
  • 1988 After Hours Boogie -Blues Boy
  • 1988 Blues After Dark -Charly Records
  • 1996 Pee Wee's Blues (The Complete Aladdin & Imperial Recordings) - EMI Digital
  • 1999 Early Hour Blues - Blind Pig Records

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Crayton, Pee Wee
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Crayton, Connie Curtis (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American blues singer and guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH December 18, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Rockdale , Texas
DATE OF DEATH June 25, 1985
Place of death Los Angeles , California