James John (Jimmy) Witherspoon, also known by the nickname “Spoon”, was a versatile "blues shouter" who achieved commercial success and critical acclaim in the genres of blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues. His 1947 recording “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” was a hit in 1949 and became his signature song.
His date of birth is usually given as August 8, 1923, but some sources give the birth year as 1920, and more than one source gives the birth date as August 18, 1921, attributing the information to his son. Since he may have run away from home to Los Angeles, California, as early as 1935, the earlier dates seem more plausible. In a 1996 interview, he gave his age as seventy-four, which also corresponds with the 1921 date.
Jimmy Witherspoon was born in Gurdon (Clark County) Arkansas to Leonard Witherspoon, a Missouri Pacific Railroad brakeman, and Eva Tatum Witherspoon, a church pianist. The family was devoutly religious. His parents were members of the choir at their Baptist church.
He didn't pursue music professionally until after his stint in the Merchant Marines in World War II. On his return to the Unites States in 1944, he replaced Walter Brown in Jay McShann's band, and performed with Big Joe Turner and T-Bone Walker.
Witherpoon's first hit record was "Ain't Nobody's Business", which he followed in 1949 with a reworking of the Leroy Carr song "In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down". His hit "Ain't Nobody's Business" was one of the biggest records of the era, and stayed on the Billboard charts for 34 weeks. Spoon made at least 200 recordings, and was one of the few true giants of the post-war blues boom.
Witherspoon recorded for a variety of labels through the 1950s, including cornerstone sides with Swingtime, Federal, Chess, RCA, and even a Dixieland session with The Wilbur de Paris New Orleans Jazz Band for Atlantic in 1956. His long career included performances on jazz stages around the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Newport Jazz Festival, touring Japan with Count Basie, and European tours with Buck Clayton's All Stars. Witherspoon managed to span the worlds of blues, R&B, and jazz with his deep baritone voice and unique style.
Witherspoon died September 18, 1997 in Los Angeles, California.
Spoon first attracted attention singing with Teddy Weatherford's band in Calcutta, India, which made regular radio broadcasts over the U. S. Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II. Witherspoon made his first records with Jay McShann's band in 1945. In 1949, recording under his own name with the McShann band, he had his first hit, "Ain't Nobody's Business,"[2] a song which came to be regarded as his signature tune. In 1950 he had hits with two more songs closely identified with him: "No Rollin' Blues", "Big Fine Girl", as well as "Failing By Degrees" and "New Orleans Woman" recorded with the Gene Gilbeaux Orchestra which included Herman Washington and Don Hill on the Modern Records label. These were recorded from a live performance on May 10, 1949 at a "Just Jazz" concert Pasadena, CA sponsored by Gene Norman. Another classic Witherspoon composition is "Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough".
Witherspoon's style of blues - that of the "blues shouter" - became unfashionable in the mid-1950s, but he returned to popularity with his 1959 album, Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which featured Roy Eldridge, Woody Herman, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines and Mel Lewis, among others. He later recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Leroy Vinnegar, Richard "Groove" Holmes and T-Bone Walker.
Tours and successes
In 1961 he toured Europe with Buck Clayton and returned to the UK on many occasions, featuring on a mid-sixties live UK recording Spoon Sings and Swings (1966) with tenor sax player Dick Morrissey's quartet. In 1970, he appeared on Brother Jack McDuff's London Blue Note recording To Seek a New Home together with British jazz musicians, including Dick Morrissey, again, and Terry Smith. In the 1970s he also recorded the album Guilty! (later released on CD as Black & White Blues) with Eric Burdon and featuring Ike White & the San Quentin Prison Band. He then toured with a band of his own featuring Robben Ford and Russ Ferrante. A recording from this period, Spoonful, featured 'Spoon accompanied by Robben Ford, Joe Sample, Cornell Dupree, Thad Jones and Bernard Purdie. He continued performing and recording into the 1990s.
Other performers with whom Witherspoon recorded include Jimmy Rowles, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Vernon Alley, Mel Lewis, Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wiggins, John Clayton, Paul Humphrey, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jimmy Smith, Long John Baldry, Junior Mance, Ellington bassist Jimmy Woode, Kenny Clarke, Gerry Mulligan, Jim Mullen, Count Basie, Van Morrison, Dutch Swing College Band, Gene Gilbeaux and others.
Acting
In the 1995 film Georgia, Witherspoon portrayed a traveling, gun-collecting blues singer, Trucker, who has a relationship with the troubled character Sadie, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.
I'll Never Be Free
Jimmy Witherspoon Lyrics
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My arms grow cold aching for you
No one can take your place
Darling in my embrace
I'll never be free
And when my lips burn with desire
No other kiss puts out the fire
No one can satisfy this longing in me
I'll never be free from your smile so tender
The sweet surrender in your eyes
How can I be free when I still remember
How you could thrill me with a sigh
Just like a chain bound to my heart
Your love remains when we're apart
Each kiss I gave to you
Made me a slave to you
I'll never be free
In the song "I'll Never Be Free" by Jimmy Witherspoon, the lyrics depict a deep longing and yearning for a lost love. The singer expresses how with every new person they hold or embrace, their arms feel cold and empty, craving the presence of their former lover. This emphasizes the powerful connection they shared and the inability to move on from that relationship.
The lyrics further illustrate the intense desire the singer feels for their lost love. They describe how no other kiss can extinguish the burning passion within them, signifying that no other person can satisfy their emotional and physical longing. Despite attempts to find solace in other relationships, the singer remains unsatisfied, unable to replace the deep connection they once had.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the impossibility of ever being free from the memories and emotions associated with the lost love. The singer reminisces about the tender smile and the captivating surrender in their lover's eyes. These memories hold them captive, preventing any possibility of moving on and finding freedom from the emotional attachment they still carry.
The concluding verse likens the love shared with the lost partner to a chain bound to the singer's heart. It suggests that even when physically separated, the love the singer once had remains deeply rooted within them. Every kiss they gave to their lover has made them a slave to their emotions, emphasizing that the singer will forever be bound to the memories and emotions bestowed upon them by their lost love. These lyrics convey a sense of emotional imprisonment and a resignation to the fact that true freedom from the past is unattainable.
Line by Line Meaning
Each time I hold someone new
Every time I hold someone else, it only makes me long for you even more.
My arms grow cold aching for you
Despite being with someone else, my arms feel empty and crave your presence.
No one can take your place
No one else can fill the void you left in my life.
Darling in my embrace
Even when I hold someone else close, I can't help but think of you.
I'll never be free
I will always be bound by the memories and feelings I have for you.
And when my lips burn with desire
When I feel intense longing and passion in my heart and soul.
No other kiss puts out the fire
No other kiss can extinguish the burning desire I have for you.
Though I may try and try
Even if I attempt to find satisfaction elsewhere.
No one can satisfy this longing in me
No one else can fulfill the deep emotional and physical longing I have for you.
I'll never be free from your smile so tender
Your gentle smile will always have a hold on me, and I will never be able to escape its influence.
The sweet surrender in your eyes
The captivating and vulnerable look in your eyes, signaling complete surrender and trust.
How can I be free when I still remember
It is impossible for me to experience freedom when I am constantly reminded of our past moments together.
How you could thrill me with a sigh
The way you could evoke such excitement and pleasure with just a simple sigh.
Just like a chain bound to my heart
Similar to a chain, your love is tightly attached to my heart and has a strong grip on me.
Your love remains when we're apart
Even when we are physically separated, your love continues to linger and affect me deeply.
Each kiss I gave to you
Every time I kissed you.
Made me a slave to you
Those kisses turned me into a devoted and helpless servant of your love.
I'll never be free
Once again emphasizing that I will forever be bound by my love for you.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Royalty Network, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bennie Benjamin, George David Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind