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Eddie Kirkland

Born on a cotton plantation in Jamaica, Eddie Kirkland got his start in the music business at the age of 12 as part of the Sugar Girl’s Medicine Show. After a short stint with the show, Eddie landed in Indiana, moved on to New Orleans where he frequently appeared with the Louisiana Six, and finally settled in Detroit. Eddie worked at the Ford Motors plant in Detroit and played small clubs and house parties on the side. It was at one of these house parties that Eddie met John Lee Hooker, an event that had profound effects on both of their careers.

For seven years, Eddie Kirkland and John Lee Hooker toured and made many recordings together. Eddie fondly remembers one recording session for Chess Records when “Muddy, Little Walter and Jimmy Rogers was listening in that studio on the balcony.”

The guitar style of Eddie Kirkland had a powerful impact on many guitarists.In 1962, Eddie recorded one of the most powerful records in blues history for Prestige. “It’s The Blues Man” has been in highest demand among collectors for years and was reissued by Fantasy Records in 1987.

During the rest of the decade, Eddie recorded now and then with John Lee Hooker but his most important work during the sixties was for the famous Stax Records, recording a hit on their subsidiary Volt Records (recently reissued by Atlantic Records) and touring with Otis Redding for three years. Eddie was fronting his band by this time and has continued to do so ever since.

Eddie had numerous critically acclaimed releases during the seventies and eighties but always seemed to be recording for the right label at the wrong time, or vice- versa. The man who had enjoyed as full a career as anyone could hope for, respected as one of the very best in two genres, blues and soul, a man fully capable of dipping into funk, rock and country blues, finally came to the conclusion that any success he was to enjoy had to be of his own making. Eddie set out to touring, bringing himself directly to the people. Eddie performed in virtually every major metropolitan area in North America and Europe as well as smaller town, always leaving a lasting impression on his audience. He built an amazing base of support solely on the strength of his live performances.

Bluesman Eddie Kirkland was killed in a car accident on Feb. 27, 2011. Source: James Nadal

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8
Album Review

John Lee Hooker: John Lee Hooker: Documenting the Sensation Recordings 1949-1952

Read "John Lee Hooker: Documenting the Sensation Recordings 1949-1952" reviewed by Jakob Baekgaard


Sam Phillips of Sun Records fame had an ear for musicians who stood out. He liked artists who were different, and he recognized the earth-shaking potential of John Lee Hooker's “Boogie Chillen,'" an early blueprint, it could be argued, for the rock 'n' roll sound pioneered by Sun. Phillips didn't get the chance to bring Hooker to Sun, but instead he found another unique blues personality to record, Howlin' Wolf, and the rest is history. Blues history ...

105
Album Review

Eddie Kirkland: The Complete Trix Recordings

Read "The Complete Trix Recordings" reviewed by Ed Kopp


The Complete Trix Recordings is a reasonably priced two-CD collection consisting of two separate albums Eddie Kirkland recorded during the early ‘70s for the Trix label. These two discs are so dissimilar one might reasonably conclude that different artists recorded them, but such is the versatility of Jamaica-born bluesman Kirkland. Front and Center is a solo set of electric and acoustic country blues, while The Devil and Other Blues Demons finds the turban-headed Kirkland combining fiery electric blues ...

132
Album Review

Eddie Kirkland: Lonely Street

Read "Lonely Street" reviewed by Ed Kopp


The 69-year-old bluesman Eddie Kirkland obviously absorbed a lot during his stints with John Lee Hooker and Otis Redding. Kirkland is one soulful singer, guitarist and harmonica player. Lonely Street is a raw and lively collection of guitar-based blues featuring Richard Bell, Tab Benoit, Jaimoe, Cub Koda, Sonny Landreth, Kenny Neal, Christine Ohlman and G.E. Smith. When Kirkland sings the blues you really believe he has the blues. The man is a great emoter, and this diverse blues offering is ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

John Lee Hooker:...

Ace Records
2020

buy

Booty Blues

Hedda Records
2006

buy

The Hawg - Them Bones

Repertoire Records
2005

buy

Lonely Street

Telarc Records
1999

buy

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