Lenoir's guitar-playing father introduced him to the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson, whose music became a major influence. During the early 1940s, Lenoir worked with blues artists Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James in New Orleans. Lenoir would eventually find musical influence in Arthur Crudup and Lightnin' Hopkins.
In 1949, he moved to Chicago and Big Bill Broonzy helped introduce him to the local blues community. He began to perform at local nightclubs with musicians such as Memphis Minnie, Big Maceo Merriweather, and Muddy Waters, and became an important part of the city's blues scene. He began recording in 1951 the J.O.B. and Chess Records labels. His recording of "Korea Blues" was licensed to and released by Chess, as having been performed by 'J. B. and his Bayou Boys'. His band included pianist Sunnyland Slim, guitarist Leroy Foster, and drummer Alfred Wallace.
During the 1950s Lenoir recorded on various record labels in the Chicago area including J.O.B., Chess, Parrot, and Checker. His more successful songs included "Let's Roll", "The Mojo" featuring saxophonist J. T. Brown, and the controversial "Eisenhower Blues" which his record company, Parrot, forced him to re-record as "Tax Paying Blues."
Lenoir was known in the 1950s for his showmanship - in particular his zebra-patterned costumes - and his high-pitched vocals. He became an influential electric guitarist and songwriter, and his penchant for social commentary distinguished him from many other bluesmen of the time. His most commercially successful and enduring release was "Mamma Talk To Your Daughter", recorded for Parrot in 1954 which reached #11 on the Billboard R&B chart and was later recorded by many other blues and rock musicians. In the later 1950s (recording on the Checker label), he wrote several more blues standards including; "Don't Dog Your Woman", and "Don't Touch My Head!!!" (1956).
In 1963, Lenoir recorded for USA Records as 'J. B. Lenoir and his African Hunch Rhythm', developing an interest in African percussion. However, he struggled to work as a professional musician and for a time took menial jobs, including working in the kitchen at the University of Illinois in Champaign. Lenoir was rediscovered by Willie Dixon, who recorded him with drummer Fred Below on the albums Alabama Blues and Down In Mississippi (inspired by the Civil Rights and Free Speech movements). Lenoir toured Europe, and performed in 1965 with the American Folk Blues Festival in the United Kingdom.
Lenoir's work had direct political content relating to racism and the Vietnam War.
"Alabama Blues"
“I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me,
I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me,
You know they killed my sister and my brother,
And the whole world let them peoples go down there free.”
He died on April 29, 1967 in Urbana, Illinois, aged 38, from a heart attack related to injuries he suffered in a car accident three weeks earlier.
His death was lamented by John Mayall in the songs, "I'm Gonna Fight for You, J.B." and "Death of J. B. Lenoir".
The 2003 documentary film The Soul of a Man, directed by Wim Wenders as the second instalment of Martin Scorsese's series The Blues, explored Lenoir's career, together with those of Skip James and Blind Willie Johnson.
In 2011, Lenoir was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.
Although his name is sometimes mispronounced like the French "lan WAH", Lenoir himself pronounced his name a "la NOR". The initials "J.B." had no specific meaning; his given name was simply "J.B."
Mississippi Road
J.B. Lenoir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My moth'-an' daddy live on a high hill way on out that Mississippi road
Sometimes I would walk down cry and wonder 'cause of where one day I must go
My mother and daddy work so hard until their clothes was wet with sweat
My mother and daddy work so hard until their clothes was wet with sweat
And come time from the sell-up get paid from the master they wouldn't ever come out of debt
Sometime I sits down and wonder why I was the only child she had
Sometime I think about the way she was mistreated and that's what makes me feel so bad
Before my mother she died she used to hang her head and cry
Before my mother she died she used to hang her head and cry
She said "Lord have mercy, have mercy on my little child"
She said "Lord have mercy, have mercy on my little..."
J.B. Lenoir's "Mississippi Road" is a poignant blues song about the singer's upbringing in Mississippi and the struggles faced by himself and his family. The first verse describes his parents' home on a high hill on Mississippi Road. However, despite the physical beauty of the location, the singer sometimes felt overwhelmed with sadness, likely due to the uncertainty of his future. The second verse highlights the hardworking nature of his parents, who worked tirelessly only to remain in debt. This verse speaks to the struggles faced by poor families in the South, where it was a challenge to rise above basic subsistence. The final verse laments the mistreatment of the singer's mother, who was likely a victim of racism and discrimination that was rampant in Mississippi in the early twentieth century. The final line sees her asking for divine mercy for her children, speaking to the difficult living conditions in Mississippi and the strong faith that helped many people through these challenges.
The song is a powerful representation of the experiences of many African Americans in the Deep South in the 20th Century. Historically, African Americans have faced consistent struggles, including poverty, discrimination, and limited access to education and employment opportunities. In writing Mississippi Road, Lenoir was able to give voice to these struggles and share his personal experiences with a wider audience.
Line by Line Meaning
My moth'-an' daddy live on a high hill way on that Mississippi road
My parents live on a high hillway located on the Mississippi Road.
Sometimes I would walk down cry and wonder 'cause of where one day I must go
Sometimes I would walk down, cry and wonder about where I will end up one day.
My mother and daddy work so hard until their clothes was wet with sweat
My parents work tirelessly and sweat profusely while working hard.
And come time from the sell-up get paid from the master they wouldn't ever come out of debt
Even after getting paid for their work, they would still remain in debt to the master.
Sometime I sit down and wonder why I was the only child she had
Sometimes I think about why I was the only child my mother had.
Sometime I think about the way she was mistreated and that's what makes me feel so bad
Thinking about my mother's mistreatment is what upsets me the most.
Before my mother she died she used to hang her head and cry
My mother was quite sad before she passed away and would often cry.
She said "Lord have mercy, have mercy on my little child"
My mother prayed to the Lord for mercy to be shown on me, her child.
Contributed by Emily T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.