That's for real. Theodore Roosevelt Taylor life reads like a movie script. Born with six fingers on each hand in some shit sorry town in the Mississippi Delta he moved away from home when he was 9. Later in 1942, Taylor, always the ladies man, was chased out of Mississippi one day by the Klan after having an affair with a white woman. He spent the first day hiding in drainage ditches and then the next day he headed for Chicago.
Which is where things got really good. Hound Dog talor as he was known began gigging around town his 2 guitars, drums and no base band known as the House Rockers.
Their sound is raw as he only payed cheap Japanese made guitars. They were loud and the Dog could get distortion out of his guitar like no one else could, in part thanks to his cheap amps. But he also could get his guitar to cry unlike anyone else. He was truly a gifted slide player and was at his happiest when he played live with his band.
The HouseRockers never rehearsed before any shows. They also were big drinkers and as a rule played only after a reasonable amount of alcohol was consumed. During any given show, Hound Dog would first drink a straight shot of whiskey, chasing it with a mixed drink. He then would down a whole glass of beer. All three drinks were drank rapidly, one after the other. After that he was ready to play! Hound Dog would start off a show usually saying something like "Hey, let's have some fun!", and did they ever! They would play all night, six and seven hour shows were normal - if the joint would stay open that late for them. By the late '60s Hound Dog had a regular gig at Florence's Lounge on the South Side of Chicago.
I bought two of this dude's albums both recorded on Alligator records. The first is insanely great..titled Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, it was the biggest selling blues record on an independent label in 1971, selling 9,000 copies. One song on the album, the Taylor penned "Give Me Back My Wig", would in time become his best known song.
The second is so so. Which isnt a surprise as Natural Boogie, released in 1973, were the left over songs from the 71 session. There is also a song called Lets Funky he played (famously also covered by Pussy Galore) which is crushing. This tune is not on the second lp, but I found it on some weird comp that came with Mojo magazine.
Sadly Hound Dog was not long for the earth. Although Hound Dog and Phillips were closest of friends, they had gotten into numerous fights throughout the years. One day in May '75 while Phillips was visiting Hound Dog along with Son Seals at the Dog's apartment, a drunken fight broke out between Phillips and Hound Dog. It seemed Phillips said something insulting about Hound Dog's wife Fredda, so Hound Dog left the room, and then returned with a .22 rifle. Aiming for the couch, he hit Phillips twice, once in the forearm and once in the leg. Seals then took the gun away from Hound Dog. Luckily, Phillips would recover and be ok, but Hound Dog would not. Phillips pressed charges and Hound Dog was supposed to be tried for attempted murder. But the Dog, a heavy smoker, was sick, very sick. He was dying of lung cancer. Instead of facing a trail he landed in the hospital. On his deathbed, his last wish was granted when Phillips visited him in the hospital and forgave him for the shooting. Hound Dog Taylor passed away the very next day, December 17, 1975.
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That's for real. Theodore Roosevelt Taylor life reads like a movie script. Born with six fingers on each hand in some shit sorry town in the Mississippi Delta he moved away from home when he was 9. Later in 1942, Taylor, always the ladies man, was chased out of Mississippi one day by the Klan after having an affair with a white woman. He spent the first day hiding in drainage ditches and then the next day he headed for Chicago.
Which is where things got really good. Hound Dog talor as he was known began gigging around town his 2 guitars, drums and no base band known as the House Rockers.
Their sound is raw as he only payed cheap Japanese made guitars. They were loud and the Dog could get distortion out of his guitar like no one else could, in part thanks to his cheap amps. But he also could get his guitar to cry unlike anyone else. He was truly a gifted slide player and was at his happiest when he played live with his band.
The HouseRockers never rehearsed before any shows. They also were big drinkers and as a rule played only after a reasonable amount of alcohol was consumed. During any given show, Hound Dog would first drink a straight shot of whiskey, chasing it with a mixed drink. He then would down a whole glass of beer. All three drinks were drank rapidly, one after the other. After that he was ready to play! Hound Dog would start off a show usually saying something like "Hey, let's have some fun!", and did they ever! They would play all night, six and seven hour shows were normal - if the joint would stay open that late for them. By the late '60s Hound Dog had a regular gig at Florence's Lounge on the South Side of Chicago.
I bought two of this dude's albums both recorded on Alligator records. The first is insanely great..titled Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, it was the biggest selling blues record on an independent label in 1971, selling 9,000 copies. One song on the album, the Taylor penned "Give Me Back My Wig", would in time become his best known song.
The second is so so. Which isnt a surprise as Natural Boogie, released in 1973, were the left over songs from the 71 session. There is also a song called Lets Funky he played (famously also covered by Pussy Galore) which is crushing. This tune is not on the second lp, but I found it on some weird comp that came with Mojo magazine.
Sadly Hound Dog was not long for the earth. Although Hound Dog and Phillips were closest of friends, they had gotten into numerous fights throughout the years. One day in May '75 while Phillips was visiting Hound Dog along with Son Seals at the Dog's apartment, a drunken fight broke out between Phillips and Hound Dog. It seemed Phillips said something insulting about Hound Dog's wife Fredda, so Hound Dog left the room, and then returned with a .22 rifle. Aiming for the couch, he hit Phillips twice, once in the forearm and once in the leg. Seals then took the gun away from Hound Dog. Luckily, Phillips would recover and be ok, but Hound Dog would not. Phillips pressed charges and Hound Dog was supposed to be tried for attempted murder. But the Dog, a heavy smoker, was sick, very sick. He was dying of lung cancer. Instead of facing a trail he landed in the hospital. On his deathbed, his last wish was granted when Phillips visited him in the hospital and forgave him for the shooting. Hound Dog Taylor passed away the very next day, December 17, 1975.
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