Hound Dog Taylor
Twelve fingered rough and ready blues maestro.
Theodore Roosevelt "H… Read Full Bio ↴Twelve fingered rough and ready blues maestro.
Theodore Roosevelt "Hound Dog" Taylor (April 12, 1915 - December 17, 1975) was an American Chicago blues guitarist and singer.
Career
Taylor was born in Natchez, Mississippi in 1915 (although some sources say 1917). He originally played piano, but began playing guitar when he was 20. He moved to Chicago in 1942.
He became a full-time musician around 1957 but remained unknown outside of the Chicago area where he played small clubs in the black neighborhoods and also at the open-air Maxwell Street Market. He was known for his electrified slide guitar playing roughly styled after that of Elmore James, his cheap Japanese Teisco guitars, and his raucous boogie beats. He was also famed among guitar players for having six fingers on his left hand.
After hearing Taylor with his band, the HouseRockers (Brewer Phillips on second guitar and Ted Harvey on drums) in 1970 at Florence's Lounge on Chicago's South Side, Bruce Iglauer - at the time a shipping clerk for Delmark Records - tried to get him signed by his employer. Having no success getting Delmark to sign Taylor, Iglauer formed a small record label with a $2500 inheritance and recorded Taylor's debut album, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, on his fledgling Alligator Records in 1971. It was the first release on Alligator, now a major blues label. It was recorded in a studio in just two nights. Iglauer began managing and booking the band, which toured nationwide and performed with Muddy Waters and Big Mama Thornton.[citation needed] The band became particularly popular in the Boston area, where Taylor inspired a young protégé named George Thorogood. A live album Live At Joe's Place documented a Boston appearance from 1972.
Their second release, Natural Boogie, was recorded in late 1973, and led to greater acclaim and touring. In 1975, Taylor and his band toured Australia and New Zealand with Freddie King and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. His third Alligator album, Beware of the Dog, was recorded live in 1974 but was only released after his death. More posthumous releases occurred as well, including Genuine Houserocking Music and Release the Hound, on the Alligator label as well as some bootleg live recordings.
Taylor died of lung cancer in 1975, and was buried in Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.
Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984.[citation needed]
Discography
Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers (1971)(Alligator Records)
Natural Boogie (1974)(Alligator Records)
Beware The Dog! (1976)(Alligator Records)
Genuine Houserocking Music (1982)(Alligator Records)
Hound Dog Taylor - Deluxe Edition (1999)(Alligator Records)
Release The Hound (2004)(Alligator Records)
Legacy
George Thorogood dedicated "The Sky Is Crying" (song 9) to "the memory of the late great Hound Dog Taylor" on his Live album (EMI America CDP 7 46329 2).
Theodore Roosevelt "H… Read Full Bio ↴Twelve fingered rough and ready blues maestro.
Theodore Roosevelt "Hound Dog" Taylor (April 12, 1915 - December 17, 1975) was an American Chicago blues guitarist and singer.
Career
Taylor was born in Natchez, Mississippi in 1915 (although some sources say 1917). He originally played piano, but began playing guitar when he was 20. He moved to Chicago in 1942.
He became a full-time musician around 1957 but remained unknown outside of the Chicago area where he played small clubs in the black neighborhoods and also at the open-air Maxwell Street Market. He was known for his electrified slide guitar playing roughly styled after that of Elmore James, his cheap Japanese Teisco guitars, and his raucous boogie beats. He was also famed among guitar players for having six fingers on his left hand.
After hearing Taylor with his band, the HouseRockers (Brewer Phillips on second guitar and Ted Harvey on drums) in 1970 at Florence's Lounge on Chicago's South Side, Bruce Iglauer - at the time a shipping clerk for Delmark Records - tried to get him signed by his employer. Having no success getting Delmark to sign Taylor, Iglauer formed a small record label with a $2500 inheritance and recorded Taylor's debut album, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, on his fledgling Alligator Records in 1971. It was the first release on Alligator, now a major blues label. It was recorded in a studio in just two nights. Iglauer began managing and booking the band, which toured nationwide and performed with Muddy Waters and Big Mama Thornton.[citation needed] The band became particularly popular in the Boston area, where Taylor inspired a young protégé named George Thorogood. A live album Live At Joe's Place documented a Boston appearance from 1972.
Their second release, Natural Boogie, was recorded in late 1973, and led to greater acclaim and touring. In 1975, Taylor and his band toured Australia and New Zealand with Freddie King and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. His third Alligator album, Beware of the Dog, was recorded live in 1974 but was only released after his death. More posthumous releases occurred as well, including Genuine Houserocking Music and Release the Hound, on the Alligator label as well as some bootleg live recordings.
Taylor died of lung cancer in 1975, and was buried in Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.
Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984.[citation needed]
Discography
Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers (1971)(Alligator Records)
Natural Boogie (1974)(Alligator Records)
Beware The Dog! (1976)(Alligator Records)
Genuine Houserocking Music (1982)(Alligator Records)
Hound Dog Taylor - Deluxe Edition (1999)(Alligator Records)
Release The Hound (2004)(Alligator Records)
Legacy
George Thorogood dedicated "The Sky Is Crying" (song 9) to "the memory of the late great Hound Dog Taylor" on his Live album (EMI America CDP 7 46329 2).
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Hound Dog Taylor & the House Rockers Lyrics
Ain't Got Nobody (Hound Dog Taylor) Well I ain't got nobody Im sitting here …
Buster's Boogie Buster Boogie…
It Hurts Me Too You said you was hurtin' Said you almost lost your mind Well…
Roll Your Moneymaker Roll your moneymaker, honey you really can shake her Shake y…
She's Gone Well, I know you don't love me Hey, I know the…
Sitting at Home Alone Lord, ain't it lonesome, well, when you're sitting at home…
Sitting Here Alone Lord, ain't it lonesome, well, when you're sitting at home…
Sitting Home Alone Lord, ain't it lonesome, well, when you're sitting at home…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Hound Dog Taylor:
Ain't Got Nobody (Hound Dog Taylor) Well I ain't got nobody Im sitting he…
Buster's Boogie Buster Boogie…
Crossroads (Robert Johnson) I was standing at the crossroad My head…
Dust My Broom (Elmore James) I'm gettin' up early mornin' I believe I'…
Freddie's Blues (Hound Dog Taylor) You know sometime boy Your just sitti…
Give Me Back My Wig (Hound Dog Taylor) Give me back my wig Honey now let you…
Gonna Send You Back to Georgia (Hound Dog Taylor) Yeah I'm gonna send you back to Georgi…
Held My Baby Last Night (Elmore James) I held my baby last night, until everything …
I Just Cant Make It (Hound Dog Taylor) Well I just can't make it Well I just…
it You said you was hurtin' Said you almost lost your mind Well…
It's Alright (Hound Dog Taylor) Yes I love ya, I love ya Woman I'm…
Kansas City (Leiber & Stoller) Going to Kansas City, Kansas City here…
Let's Get Funky (Hound Dog Taylor) Say what - I hear ya Yeah, I hear…
My Baby's Coming Home (Taylor & Eatmon) Yes I ain't worried 'bout my baby She'…
Rock Me (Traditional) Rock me baby Rock me all night long Yeah …
Roll Your Moneymaker Roll your moneymaker, honey you really can shake her Shake …
Sadie (Hound Dog Taylor) Sadie, will you come back home tonight…
She's Gone Well, I know you don't love me Hey, I know the…
Sitting At Home Alone Lord, ain't it lonesome, well, when you're sitting at home…
Take Five (Hound Dog Taylor) Chicago, Chicago babe, Chicago Chicag…
The Sun Is Shining (Elmore James) The sun is shining Oh it's always raining…
What'd I Say (Ray Charles) See the gal with the red dress on? She can…
Wild About You Baby (Elmore James) Yes I'm wild about you woman But you don'…