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 Love You Yes I Do
Jimmy Witherspoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want you, yes I do,
I know you know it's true
From the way I look at you.
You love me, yes you do,
You need me, I need you;
That's why I'm never blue
I guess you knew it from the start,
From the day you took my heart,
You're the one boy I'll always admire.
Darling, you're my guiding star,
I must be where you are,
You set my soul on fire!
I miss you, yes I do,
Must hug and kiss you too,
I'm yours my whole life through!
I love you, yes I do.
I guess you knew it from the start,
From the day you took my heart,
You're the one boy I'll always admire.
Darling, you're my guiding star,
I must be where you are,
You set my soul on fire!
I miss you, yes I do,
Must hug and kiss you too,
I'm yours my whole life through!
I love you, yes I do.
The lyrics to "I Love You Yes I Do" by Jimmy Witherspoon express the deep love and affection the singer has for their partner. The singer professes their love multiple times throughout the song, stating that they want and need their partner in their life. The singer is confident in their love for their partner and believes that their partner feels the same way. The lyrics also indicate that the singer has been in love with their partner for a long time and that their love has only grown over time.
The chorus of the song reflects the singer's belief that their partner is their soulmate and they must always be together. The line "You set my soul on fire" captures the intensity of their love and the way it consumes them. The song also highlights the physical and emotional connection between the two partners. The singer misses their partner when they are apart and cannot wait to hug and kiss them again.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Love You Yes I Do" portray a deep and passionate love between two people who are meant to be together. The song's upbeat rhythm and soulful melody enhance the expression of the singer's love and make the song a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you, yes I do,
I am feeling great affection towards you, and my feelings are indeed genuine.
I want you, yes I do,
I deeply desire to be with you and to share my life with you.
I know you know it's true
From the way I look at you.
I believe you are aware that my feelings for you are real, and you can tell from the way I gaze at you.
You love me, yes you do,
You need me, I need you;
I am confident that you love and care for me, and I feel the same way about you. We need each other for our wellbeing.
That's why I'm never blue
Since I first laid eyes on you.
Ever since I met you, my life has been bright, and I no longer feel unhappy or sad. You have brought joy and happiness to my existence.
I guess you knew it from the start,
From the day you took my heart,
I think you knew that you had won my heart right from our first encounter.
You're the one boy I'll always admire.
Darling, you're my guiding star,
You are the man whom I will always cherish and hold in high regard. You are the light that guides me, and I want to be with you always.
I must be where you are,
You set my soul on fire!
I feel compelled to be by your side always because you have awakened a passion and energy within me that motivates and exhilarates me.
I miss you, yes I do,
Must hug and kiss you too,
When we are apart, I feel your absence deeply, and I yearn to hold and kiss you.
I'm yours my whole life through!
I love you, yes I do.
You own my heart completely and utterly, and I will love you always, forever and ever.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sol Marcus, Guy B. Wood, Edward Eddie Seiler, Sally Nix, Henry Glover
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind