TV Slim

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TV Slim (also TV Slim , actually Oscar Wills , born February 10, 1916 in Houston ; † October 21, 1969 near Kingman , Arizona ) was an American blues and rhythm & blues musician (vocals, also guitar, Violin), music producer and songwriter .

Live and act

Wills began his career in Houston, where he wrote his own compositions, influenced by the music of DeFord Bailey , Sonny Boy Williamson I , Sonny Boy Williamson II and Guitar Slim . He was able to sell the song Dolly Bee to Don Robey for Junior Parker's production on Duke Records before he had the opportunity to record the piece himself. To do this, he founded the Speed ​​Records label. With his song about the little crook Flatfoot Sam he had a smaller local success. The first version of the song was released in 1957 on the small label Cliff Records, which prompted Stan Lewis, later the owner of Jewel / Paula Records, to persuade Oscar Wills, who repaired TVs in his day job, to use the pseudonym "TV Slim". The single was then named "T. V. Slim and His Heartbreakers ”released on the Chess sub-label Checker Records (# 870).

Then as Flat Foot Sam in a rhythm - & - blues-oriented new recording in Cosimo Matassa's studio (with Robert "Barefootin '" Parker, saxophone, Paul Gayten , piano, and Charles "Hungry" Williams, drums) by Argo (# 5277) was released, TV Slim had a regional hit with it. In the following years, TV Slim recorded more singles for the labels Speed, Checker, Pzazz, USA, Timbre, Excell and Ideel, with whom he continued the history of Flat Foot Sam , with Flatfoot Sam Made a Bet , Flat Foot Sam Met Jim Dandy (1959) and Flat Foot Sam # 2 . He also recorded numbers influenced by rock 'n' roll , rockabilly and rhythm & blues, such as the musical etiquette guide Don't Reach Cross My Plate , I Can't Be Satisfied / Gravy Around Your Steak (Timbre 510), I. 'm a Real Man / You Won't Treat Me (Ideel IM-5099), Your Kisses Changed Me (Speed ​​703) and Tired of Your Cheatin' & Lying (S-102). TV Slim recorded the single Don't Knock the Blues / My Heart's Full of Pain in 1968 in Los Angeles, produced by Paul Gayten and arranged by Teddy Edwards (Pzazz 005). On the way back from a gig in Chicago, TV Slim died of a car accident in October 1969 near Kingman, Arizona. Albert Collins later covered TV Slim's song Don't Reach Cross My Plate .

Discographic notes

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lyrics
  2. ↑ http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/roots/BLUES%20&%20GOSPEL/blues_t1.htm
  3. ↑ The single was released under the name Paul Gayten and His Band / Oscar Wills
  4. ↑ 1971 the song appeared on the LP When Girls Do It (Red Lightnin 'LP RL 006); in CD form on Flatfoot Sam (Delmark).
personal data
SURNAME TV Slim
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wills, Oscar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American blues musician
DATE OF BIRTH February 10, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Houston
DATE OF DEATH October 21, 1969
Place of death near Kingman (Arizona)