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.
Roll 'Em Pete
Jimmy Witherspoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I got a gal, she lives up on the hill
Well, this woman's tryin' to quit me, Lord, but I love her still
She's got eyes like diamonds, they shine like Klondike gold
She's got eyes like diamonds, they shine like Klondike gold
Every time she loves me, she sends my mellow soul
Well, you're so beautiful, you've got to die someday
All I want's a little loving, just before you pass away
Pretty baby, I'm goin' away and leave you by yourself
Pretty baby, I'm goin' away and leave you by yourself
You've mistreated me, now you can mistreat somebody else
The lyrics to Jimmy Witherspoon's "Roll 'Em Pete" describe a man who is deeply in love with a woman who is trying to leave him. He describes her to have eyes like diamonds that shine like Klondike gold, implying that she is stunningly beautiful. Despite her attempts to leave him, he still loves her deeply. The lyrics take a somber note with the line "Well, you're so beautiful, you've got to die someday." This line implies that the singer knows that their time with this lovely woman is finite and that they want to make the most of the time they have left with her. The singer requests a bit of love before she passes away.
The lyrics take a turn when the singer states that he is leaving the woman. The final line, "You've mistreated me, now you can mistreat somebody else," implies that the reason the singer is leaving is that he has felt mistreated by this woman. The song is an excellent example of blues music, which often deals with themes like love, loss, and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I got a gal, she lives up on the hill
I have a lady love who resides on a high terrain
Well, this woman's tryin' to quit me, Lord, but I love her still
My significant other intends to break up with me but I still hold strong feelings for her
She's got eyes like diamonds, they shine like Klondike gold
My lover has eyes that sparkle like diamonds and gleam like gold found in Klondike
Every time she loves me, she sends my mellow soul
Each time she expresses her love for me, it gives me a sense of calm and happiness
Well, you're so beautiful, you've got to die someday
You possess indescribable beauty but it's inevitable that one day you'll perish
All I want's a little loving, just before you pass away
All I desire is some affection from you, right before you depart from this world
Pretty baby, I'm goin' away and leave you by yourself
My dear darling, I must depart and leave you all alone
You've mistreated me, now you can mistreat somebody else
Since you have caused me pain and misfortune, now you can inflict harm upon another individual
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joe Turner, Pete K. H. Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrew Whittaker
Hell yeah!!!!
Uncle Beef
Roll 'em boy, gonna jump for joy
Arjhendrix
:-))))) how cool is that. best wishes as always bro
Antonio Betancourt
...tocando..epa..papa...la...parararar....