Walter Brown ("Brownie") McGhee (November 30, 1915 – February 16, 1996) was… Read Full Bio ↴Walter Brown ("Brownie") McGhee (November 30, 1915 – February 16, 1996) was a Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaboration with the harmonica player Sonny Terry as Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee.
Brownie McGhee was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. As a child he had polio, which incapacitated his leg. His brother Granville "Sticks" or "Stick" McGhee was nicknamed for pushing young Brownie around in a cart. His father, George McGhee, was a factory worker known around University Avenue for playing guitar and singing. Brownie's uncle made him a guitar from a tin marshmallow box and a piece of board.[4] McGhee spent much of his youth immersed in music, singing with local harmony group the Golden Voices Gospel Quartet and teaching himself to play guitar. A March of Dimes-funded leg operation enabled McGhee to walk.
At age 22, Brownie McGhee became a traveling musician, working in the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and befriending Blind Boy Fuller, whose guitar playing influenced him greatly. After Fuller's death in 1941, J. B. Long of Columbia Records had McGhee adopt his mentor's name, branding him "Blind Boy Fuller No. 2." By that time, McGhee was recording for Columbia's subsidiary Okeh Records in Chicago, but his real success came after he moved to New York in 1942, when he teamed up with Sonny Terry, whom he had known since 1939 when Sonny was Blind Boy Fuller's harmonica player. The pairing was an overnight success; as well as recording, they toured together until around 1980. As a duo, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee did most of their work from 1958 until 1980, spending 11 months of each year touring, and recording dozens of albums.
Despite their later fame as "pure" folk artists playing for white audiences, in the 1940s Terry and McGhee also attempted to be successful black recording performers, fronting a jump blues combo with honking saxophone and rolling piano, variously calling themselves "Brownie McGhee and his Jook House Rockers" or "Sonny Terry and his Buckshot Five," often with Champion Jack Dupree and Big Chief Ellis. They also appeared in the original Broadway productions of Finian's Rainbow and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
During the blues revival of the 1960s, Terry and McGhee were very popular on the concert and music festival circuits, occasionally adding new material but usually remaining faithful to their roots and their audience. With Sonny Terry, he appeared in the 1979 Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. In 1987, McGhee gave a small but memorable performance as ill-fated blues singer Toots Sweet in the supernatural thriller movie, Angel Heart. He appeared in a 1988 episode of "Family Ties" titled "The Blues Brother" in which he played fictional blues musician Eddie Dupre, as well as a 1989 episode of Matlock entitled "The Blues Singer."
Happy Traum, a former guitar student of Brownie's, edited a blues guitar instruction guide and songbook for him. Using a tape recorder, Traum had McGhee instruct and, between lessons, talk about his life and the blues. Guitar Styles of Brownie McGhee was published in New York in 1971. The autobiographical section features Brownie talking about growing up, his musical beginnings, and a history of the early blues period (1930s onward).
One of McGhee's final concert appearances was at the 1995 Chicago Blues Festival.
McGhee died from stomach cancer in February 1996 in Oakland, California at age 80; he missed his planned return trip to Australia.
Brownie McGhee was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. As a child he had polio, which incapacitated his leg. His brother Granville "Sticks" or "Stick" McGhee was nicknamed for pushing young Brownie around in a cart. His father, George McGhee, was a factory worker known around University Avenue for playing guitar and singing. Brownie's uncle made him a guitar from a tin marshmallow box and a piece of board.[4] McGhee spent much of his youth immersed in music, singing with local harmony group the Golden Voices Gospel Quartet and teaching himself to play guitar. A March of Dimes-funded leg operation enabled McGhee to walk.
At age 22, Brownie McGhee became a traveling musician, working in the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and befriending Blind Boy Fuller, whose guitar playing influenced him greatly. After Fuller's death in 1941, J. B. Long of Columbia Records had McGhee adopt his mentor's name, branding him "Blind Boy Fuller No. 2." By that time, McGhee was recording for Columbia's subsidiary Okeh Records in Chicago, but his real success came after he moved to New York in 1942, when he teamed up with Sonny Terry, whom he had known since 1939 when Sonny was Blind Boy Fuller's harmonica player. The pairing was an overnight success; as well as recording, they toured together until around 1980. As a duo, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee did most of their work from 1958 until 1980, spending 11 months of each year touring, and recording dozens of albums.
Despite their later fame as "pure" folk artists playing for white audiences, in the 1940s Terry and McGhee also attempted to be successful black recording performers, fronting a jump blues combo with honking saxophone and rolling piano, variously calling themselves "Brownie McGhee and his Jook House Rockers" or "Sonny Terry and his Buckshot Five," often with Champion Jack Dupree and Big Chief Ellis. They also appeared in the original Broadway productions of Finian's Rainbow and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
During the blues revival of the 1960s, Terry and McGhee were very popular on the concert and music festival circuits, occasionally adding new material but usually remaining faithful to their roots and their audience. With Sonny Terry, he appeared in the 1979 Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. In 1987, McGhee gave a small but memorable performance as ill-fated blues singer Toots Sweet in the supernatural thriller movie, Angel Heart. He appeared in a 1988 episode of "Family Ties" titled "The Blues Brother" in which he played fictional blues musician Eddie Dupre, as well as a 1989 episode of Matlock entitled "The Blues Singer."
Happy Traum, a former guitar student of Brownie's, edited a blues guitar instruction guide and songbook for him. Using a tape recorder, Traum had McGhee instruct and, between lessons, talk about his life and the blues. Guitar Styles of Brownie McGhee was published in New York in 1971. The autobiographical section features Brownie talking about growing up, his musical beginnings, and a history of the early blues period (1930s onward).
One of McGhee's final concert appearances was at the 1995 Chicago Blues Festival.
McGhee died from stomach cancer in February 1996 in Oakland, California at age 80; he missed his planned return trip to Australia.
Pallet On The Floor
Brownie McGhee Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Pallet On The Floor' by these artists:
Bill Monroe & Doc Watson Honey, make me down a pallet on your floor Make me…
Johnny Silvo & Diz Disley Make me a pallet on your floor Make me a pallet…
Mississippi John Hurt Well make me down a pallet on your floor Make me…
The Dead South Well, I'd be more than satisfied If I could catch a…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Brownie McGhee:
Back Door Stanger My baby - she done somethin' never done before When I…
Back Door Stranger My baby - she done somethin' never done before When I…
Betty and Dupree Betty told Dupree, "I want a diamond ring." (2x) …
Born for Bad Luck Boys I'm most done travellin', Lord I'm at my journey's…
Careless Love Love, oh love, oh careless love You've fly through my head…
Change The Lock On My Door My baby done changed Yes, she done changed the lock on…
Cornbread And Peas I don't want, no cornbread, peas, black molasses I don't wan…
Death of Blind Boy Fuller He's gone, Blind Boy Fuller's gone away He's gone, Blind Boy…
Death Of Blind Boy Fuller #1 He's gone, Blind Boy Fuller's gone away He's gone, Blind Bo…
Death Of Blind Boy Fuller #2 He's gone, Blind Boy Fuller's gone away He's gone, Blind Boy…
Death of Blind Boy Fuller Take 2 He's gone, Blind Boy Fuller's gone away He's gone, Blind Bo…
Diamond Ring Diamond ring, wear it on your hand It's gonna tell…
Don't Mistreat Me [Chorus] Don't mistreat me, mama When you know you doin' wro…
Don't You Lie To Me Let's talk it over baby 'fore we start I heard about…
Double Trouble Yes I got double trouble What am I gonna do now? Want…
Double Trouble #1 Yes I got double trouble What am I gonna do now? Want…
Double Trouble #2 Yes I got double trouble What am I gonna do now? Want…
Down By The Riverside I'm gonna lay down my burden, down by the riverside, Down…
Freight Train Hey, to hear that old train blow Makes me feel like…
Freight Train Blues Hey, to hear that old train blow Makes me feel like…
I Walkin' down the street this mornin' Full of my good gin A…
I'm a Black Woman's Man My mother was a black woman, father a black man…
I'm A Stranger Here I'm a stranger, just blowed in your town So I want…
I'm gonna move across the river Way up the river, long deep and wide Gonna make love…
Im A Stranger Here I'm a stranger, just blowed in your town So I want…
Jump Little Children Jump, little children, jump Jump, little children, jump Jump…
Key to My Door My baby done changed Yes, she done changed the lock on…
Key to the Highway I've got the key to the highway Billed out and…
Life Is A Gamble Get out the cards and they wouldn't notch it Get on…
Lonesome Day Hurry down, sunshine, see what tomorrow brings Hurry down, s…
Me and My Dog Blues Well me and my dog, we don't have no friend…
Midnight Special One day, one day, Sir I was walking along I heard that…
Picking My Tomatoes Oh, you been diggin' my tomatoes, crampin' on my farm Oh,…
Rum cola papa I've been drinkin since my childhood Like my whiskey good a…
Somebody Changed The Lock My baby done changed Yes, she done changed the lock on…
Step It And Go No. 2 Got a little girl, little and low, She used to love…
Step It up and Go Got a little girl, little and low, She used to love…
That's Why I'm Walking [Incomprehensible] I wake just like a flame Sixteen long hou…
The Devil's Gonna Get You I had a talk with the Devil, said he needs…
Trouble in Mind Troubled in mind, I'm little blue Bet you, I won't be…
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