Leroy Carr Information & Leroy Carr Links at HealthHaven.com

Leroy Carr
Leroy Carr
	;
Background information
Born	March 27, 1905; Nashville, Tennessee
Origin	Indianapolis, Indiana
Died	April 29, 1935 (aged 30); Indianapolis, Indiana
Genres	Chicago Blues, Piedmont blues
Instruments	Piano

Leroy Carr (March 27, 1905 – April 29, 1935^[1]) was an American blues singer, songwriter and pianist who developed a laid-back, crooning technique and whose popularity and style influenced such artists as Nat King Cole and Ray Charles. He first became famous for "How Long, How Long Blues" on Vocalion Records in 1928.^[2]

[edit] Career

Carr was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1905 and grew up in Louisville and the black section of Indianapolis, Indiana.^[2] By 1928 he had partnered with the jazz guitarist Scrapper Blackwell,^[2] and their work showed a distinctive urban influence that was unlike the intensely emotional vocals and heavily rhythmatic guitar back up, often bottleneck guitar style, of the Mississippi bluesmen. Carr was one of the first Northern bluesmen. Vocalion Records recorded him in 1928 and his first release "How Long, How Long Blues" was an immediate success.^[2] The innovation was in the sophisticated piano-guitar accompaniment and the wistfully sad mood. Music had moved from the lone guitarist in the fields to clubs with pianos for ready entertainment.^[3]

The success of his first release resulted in more Vocalion recordings.^[2] Although the Great Depression of the early 1930s slowed the music industry, Carr's success continued, reaching a peak number of releases in 1934.^[2] Throughout the early 1930s, Carr was one of the most popular bluesmen in America.^[2] While his professional career was successful, his personal life was spinning out of control, as he sank deeply into alcoholism.^[1] His sudden death in 1935 at the age of 30 was surrounded with rumour and mystery. Today most historians believed he died of nephritis.^[4] A few weeks after Carr's death, his guitarist, Blackwell, recorded a memorial, "My Old Pal Blues".^[2]

[edit] Legacy

Although his recording career was cut short by his early death, Carr left behind a large body of work in his blues recordings.^[2] His partnership with guitarist Blackwell combined his light bluesy piano with a melodic jazz guitar that attracted the sophisticated urban black audience. His vocal style moved blues singing toward an urban sophistication and influenced such singers as T-Bone Walker, Charles Brown, Amos Milburn, Jimmy Witherspoon, Ray Charles among others.^[4]

Count Basie and Jimmy Rushing used some of Carr's songs and Basie's band shows the influence of Carr's piano style.^[5]

His music has been covered by notable artists such as Eric Clapton, Big Bill Broonzy, and Memphis Slim.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Allmusic biography
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. pp. 52–53. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
^ Rowe, Mike (1973). Chicago Blues. New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 12–15. ISBN 0-306-80145-0.
^ ^a ^b Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 8–9. ISBN 0-02-061740-2.
^ Keil, Charles (1991). Urban Blues. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. pp. 65–67, 107. ISBN 0226429601.

Wald, Elijah. Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues. HarperCollins, 2004. ISBN 0-06-052423-5

[edit] External links

[amg-0] Allmusic biography

[russell-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. pp. 52–53. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.

[rowe-2] Rowe, Mike (1973). Chicago Blues. New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 12–15. ISBN 0-306-80145-0.

[shaw-3] Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 8–9. ISBN 0-02-061740-2.

[keil-4] Keil, Charles (1991). Urban Blues. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. pp. 65–67, 107. ISBN 0226429601.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Legacy

[edit] References

[edit] External links