He was born in Widener, Arkansas (the 14th of 15 musically gifted children) first connected to the blues at age ten, when he began playing the diddley bow (a wire attached by nails to a wall with rocks for bridges and a bottle to fret the wire). His family migrated to Chicago in 1951, and Luther began soaking in the sounds of Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Robert Nighthawk. He was classmates with Muddy Waters' son and occasionally stopped in the Waters' house to watch the master rehearse. It wasn't until he was 18 already in Chicago for seven years that Luther began playing blues on a real guitar and jamming with his brother Ollie's band. He began hanging outside blues clubs with the hopes of being invited to perform. He played with Howlin' Wolf's band and backed up James Cotton.
By 1957, Allison had dropped out of school and formed a band called The Rolling Stones. Unhappy with the name, they became The Four Jivers, gigging all over the West Side of Chicago. Before long, Luther was jamming with the West Side's best, including Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Freddie King, who encouraged Allison to sing. "That," said Allison, "was my school." When King began to tour nationally in the early 1960s, Allison took over King's band as well as his weekly gigs at Walton's Corner and became one of the hottest acts on the West Side. For five years, Allison honed his craft. He moved to California for a year and cut sides with fellow Chicagoans Shakey Jake Harris and Sunnyland Slim.
His big break came in 1957 when Muddy Waters invited Allison to the stage. He worked the club circuit throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s and recorded his first single in 1965. Allison was signed to the Delmark Records label in fall 1967. He cut his first two songs as a leader on the now-classic Delmark anthology, Sweet Home Chicago, before releasing his debut album Love Me Mama. He performed a stellar, show stopping, set at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival and was invited to the next three consecutive festivals. He also toured nation-wide and, in 1972, was signed to Motown Records, one of the few blues artists to do so. By the mid 1970s he began touring Europe, enjoyed the warm reception by the crowds and moved to France in 1977. He wouldn't return to the United States for another fifteen years disgusted by the disco music that started there.
LUTHER ALLISON's manager and European agent Thomas Ruf founded the label Ruf Records in 1994. Since signing with Ruf Records, Allison launched a major comeback in association with Alligator Records. Alligator Records founder, Bruce Iglauer, convinced Allison to return to the States. With the release of Soul Fixin' Man in 1994, Allison's first domestic album in 20 years, he announced his return. "Fever and chills performances," said Guitar Player, "ferocious solos combine the wisdom of a master storyteller with the elegance of B.B. King, the elasticity of Buddy Guy, and the big sting of Albert King."
After three mammoth U.S. tours, America once again was paying attention to LUTHER ALLISON. On his American comeback tour, including his nationally broadcast and typically jaw-dropping set at the 1995 Chicago Blues Festival, LUTHER ALLISON announced to the world that he was not only back, he was unstoppable. And now he has the trophies to prove it, having received every award the blues has to offer. He swept the 1996 W.C.Handy Awards with five statues, won 10 Living Blues Awards and a 1995 Indie Award, and played in front of hundreds of thousands of screaming fans at festivals and clubs all over the world. He appeared on the cover of Living Blues, Blues Revue, Blues Access, and was the subject of major feature stories and reviews in Guitar Player, Guitar World, and Guitar For The Practicing Musician, as well as being featured on National Public Radio's Weekend All Things Considered and The Late Show With Conan O'Brien. "LUTHER ALLISON", proclaimed Blues Revue," is the New King of the Blues."
Allison followed up with Blue Streak, and the praise and accolades poured in. "A sonic roar as soulful as his gospel-shout vocals," raved the Washington Post. "Luther Allison's latest is nothing short of a masterpiece by a master," reported Blues Revue. Continued touring brought Allison before raving fans around the world, as he brought his band from the San Francisco Blues Festival to New York's Central Park Summerstage, with all stops in between. With Reckless, Allison reached even greater heights. Guitar World said, "Reckless in the best sense of the word, dancing on a razor's edge, remaining just this side of out-of-control. Hard-driving, piercing West Side Chicago single-note leads with a soul base and a rock edge."
Luther toured the US and Canada thoroughly and his fan base grew to his mind-blowing performances. Both Allison and Soul Fixin' Man won four WC Handy Awards in 1994. With the James Solberg Band backing him, non-stop touring and the release of Blue Streak (featuring song "Cherry Red Wine"), Allison continued to earn more Handy's and gain wider recognition. Allison scored a host of Living Blues Awards and was featured on the cover pages of major Blues publications. Throughout it all, Allison delivered one show-stopping performance after another. His boundless energy and fierce guitar attack combined to make him a blues superstar who reached rock fans like no bluesmen since Freddie King and Albert Collins. Allison was known for his strong showmanship, ten minute long guitar solos and crowd walking with an extra long cord attached to his Gibson Les Paul.
In the middle of his summer of '97 tour, Allison checked into a hospital for chest pains and breathing problems. Unfortunately, it was discovered that he had a tumor on his lung that was about to metastasize to his spine. In and out of a coma, LUTHER ALLISON died on August 12, 1997, five days before his 58th birthday. His album Reckless had just been released. Without a doubt, LUTHER ALLISON's death robbed music fans of one of the most exciting and popular blues performers ever. With Live In Chicago, Allison lives on, as he tears through the songs with the single-minded desire to give everything he has to his audience. While listening to the album, fans can immerse themselves in the explosive power of LUTHER ALLISON's music and experience the redemptive force of his legendary performances. Not only did he leave his legacy to never be forgotten, but his son Bernard Allison (born 1965) is an exceptional blues guitarist in his own right.
Bad News Is Coming
Luther Allison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think I'm gonna have to leave right away
Oh Lord, I think I'm gonna have to leave right away
You know I hope and I pray
I'll see my love one another day, yeah
The sad thing in my life
Oh, the sad thing in my life
Lord, I got to leave right now
Oh, there's a strain in my heart
Just to know that my woman
Is gonna be goin' out, yes, she is
Please
Yeah
Lord, hold me, hold me over
Hold me over, hold me over
Honey, I'm gonna miss my baby
I don't wanna go
But the bad news is coming
Lord, please don't let me go, no
The news is comin' [?]
Yeah, yeah
Listen
I gotta say, I gotta leave you
Baby
The lyrics to Luther Allison's song Bad News Is Coming describe a character who receives some terrible news and has to immediately leave. The first two lines let us know that the news he received is bad, and he feels like he has to leave right away. He hopes to see his love again someday, and you can hear the sadness in his voice. The next verse explains how sad he is to leave, knowing that his woman is going out without him. He begs the Lord to hold him over, but he knows he'll miss his baby. In the final lines, he has to say goodbye to his love.
The song is filled with a deep sense of sadness and loss - a tone that is carried through the whole song. The lyrics are fairly straightforward, and the storytelling qualities of Luther Allison's blues style add depth to what could otherwise be a simple story. The song communicates feelings of pain and departure, and it's clear that the character is struggling with something difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the bad news this morning
I received some unfortunate news earlier today
I think I'm gonna have to leave right away
I believe I must depart immediately
Oh Lord, I think I'm gonna have to leave right away
Oh God, I feel like I have to leave straight away
You know I hope and I pray
I have faith and I plead
I'll see my love one another day, yeah
I'll see my sweetheart once more in the future, yeah
The sad thing in my life
The unfortunate thing in my life
Lord, I got to leave now
God, I have to go now
Oh, the sad thing in my life
Oh, the sorrowful thing in my life
Lord, I got to leave right now
God, I have to leave straight away
Oh, there's a strain in my heart
Oh, there's a pressure in my heart
Just to know that my woman
Simply knowing that my woman
Is gonna be goin' out, yes, she is
Is going to leave the house, yes, she is
Please
I beg of you
Lord, hold me, hold me over
God, keep me, keep me going
Hold me over, hold me over
Keep me going, keep me going
Honey, I'm gonna miss my baby
Darling, I'm going to miss my sweetheart
I don't wanna go
I don't want to leave
But the bad news is coming
Nevertheless, the bad news is approaching
Lord, please don't let me go, no
God, please don't make me leave, no
The news is comin' [?]
The news is arriving
Yeah, yeah
Yes, yes
Listen
Listen to me
I gotta say, I gotta leave you
I have to say, I have to leave you
Baby
Sweetheart
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOSEPH PERANIO, LUTHER ALLISON, PAUL WHITE, PERANIO JOSEPH, WHITE PAUL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@conniblahblah9239
I got the bad news this morning
I think I'm gonna have to leave right away
Oh Lord, I think I'm gonna have to leave right away
You know I hope and I pray
I'll see my love one another day, yeah
The sad thing in my life
Lord, I got to leave now
Oh, the sad thing in my life
Lord, I got to leave right now
Oh, there's a strain in my heart
Just to know that my woman
Is gonna be goin' out, yes, she is
Please
Yeah
Lord, hold me, hold me over
Hold me over, hold me over
Honey, I'm gonna miss my baby
I don't wanna go
But the bad news is coming
Lord, please don't let me go, no
The news is comin' [?]
Yeah, yeah
Listen
I gotta say, I gotta leave you
Baby
@salvatoreala9352
If you don't love this, you might not be breathing. Wow!
@jeffreis7268
Luther Allison é um monstro. Simplesmente incrível.
@josipkoic93
No words needed for this masterpiece....just goosebumps (2:34, damn). Cheers to you all from Croatia.
@cmarso7721
tooo bree idemo
@AdventuresInSound
Amazing, my favourite blues song for sure, so much passion
@eloimassana3002
Yes boy/girl... Good shit no doubt
@leportosdu4576
Merci la pub nulle pour me faire découvrir ce genre de tuerie. Le blues est clairement une musique sous-cotée
@alepazzo1559
Sous cotée pour les incultes de la musique uniquement 😉
@TheEasyrider147
shame the good music gets no airtime (i could have been listening to this 20 years ago if i knew he existed.
@roostersmechanics5131
And to think there is so many more legendary artists out there like luther that hasnt had their true moment in the spotlight who could possibly deny this beautiful music/talent and imagine if luther alison and jimmy hendrix collaborated some songs together