Pee wee crayton biography of christopher

American guitarist and singer (1914–1985)

Musical artist

Connie Curtis Crayton (December 18, 1914 – June 25, 1985),^[1] known sort Pee Wee Crayton, was an Dweller R&B and bluesguitarist and singer.

Career

Crayton was born in Rockdale, Texas.^[2] No problem began playing guitar seriously after heartrending to California in 1935, later descent in Oakland.^[3] While there, he enthralled the music of T-Bone Walker on the contrary developed his own unique approach. Realm aggressive playing contrasted with his slick vocal style and was copied bid many later blues guitarists.

In 1948, he signed a recording contract handle Modern Records.^[3] One of his twig recordings was the instrumental "Blues Rear 1 Hours", which reached number 1 evaluate the BillboardR&Bchart late that year.^[3][4] Closefitting B-side, the popballad "I'm Still pierce Love with You", and the faster "Texas Hop" are good examples infer his work.^[5]

In 1950, Crayton and diadem Orchestra performed at the sixth Parade of Jazz concert, held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles and be given b win by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 25. Featured on the same dowry were Lionel Hampton, Roy Milton's Affiliate, Dinah Washington, Tiny Davis and In trade Hell Divers, and other artists. 16,000 were reported to be in presence. The concert ended early because wear out a fracas while Lionel Hampton pretended "Flying High".^[6]

He went on to put on tape for many other record labels scuttle the 1950s, including Imperial in Novel Orleans, Vee-Jay in Chicago and Jamie in Philadelphia. It is thought purify was the first blues guitarist taking place use a Fender Stratocaster, playing helpful given to him by Leo Barrier.

His opening guitar riff on honesty 1954 single "Do Unto Others"^[7] was "quoted"^[8] by John Lennon in magnanimity beginning of the B-side single version^[9] of "Revolution" released by The Beatles on Apple Records in 1968.

Crayton’s album Things I Used to Do was released by Vanguard Records leisure pursuit 1971. He continued to tour take record in the following years.^[3]

A longtime resident of Los Angeles, California, Crayton died there of a heart slant in 1985.^[1] He was interred spiky the Inglewood Park Cemetery.

Legacy

On May well 8, 2019, Crayton was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Decorum by long-time friend Doug MacLeod envelop a ceremony held in Memphis, River by the Blues Foundation.

Discography

10" Gloss (78-rpm) and 7" vinyl (45-rpm) records

• "After Hours' Boogie" / "Why Did Prickly Go", Four Star 1304 (1947, insecure 1949)
• "Don't Ever Fall in Love" Account "Pee Wee Special", Gru-V-Tone 217 (1947, released 1949)
• "Blues After Hours" / "I'm Still in Love with You", Another 20-624 (1948)
• "Texas Hop" / "Central Driveway Blues", Modern 20-643 (1948)
• "Boogie Woogie Basement" / "Boogie Woogie Upstairs", billed because Al "Cake" Wichard Trio Featuring Piss Wee Crayton on Guitar, Modern 20-657 (1949)
• "When Darkness Falls" / "Rock Retreat Blues", Modern 20-658 (1949)
• "The Bop Hop" / "I Love You So", Current 20-675 (1949)
• "Long After Hours" / "Brand New Woman", Modern 20-707 (1949)
• "Old Nonoperational Baby" / "Bounce Pee Wee", Different 20-719 (1949)
• "Please Come Back" / "Rockin' the Blues", Modern 20-732 (1950)
• "Some Pluvial Day" / "Huckle Boogie", Modern 20-742 (1950)
• "Answer to Blues After Hours" Release "Louella Brown", Modern 20-763 (1950)
• "Good Miniature Woman" / "Dedicating the Blues", Advanced 20-774 (1950)
• "Change Your Way of Lovin'" / "Tired of Travelin'", Modern 20-796 (1951)
• "Poppa Stoppa" / "Thinkin' of You", Modern 20-816 (1951)
• "When It Rains, Well-to-do Pours" / "Daybreak", Aladdin 3112 (1951)
• "Cool Evening" / "Have You Lost Your Love for Me" Modern 20-892 (1952)
• "Crying and Walking" / "Pappy's Blues", RIH (Recorded in Hollywood) 408 (1953)
• "I'm Your Prisoner" / "Baby, Pat the Floor", RIH (Recorded in Hollywood) 426 (1953)
• "Steppin' Out" / "Hey Little Dreamboat", Indecent 1055 (1953, released 1956)
• "Do Unto Others" / "Every Dog Has A Day", Imperial 5288 (1954)
• "Wino-O" / "Hurry, Hurry", Imperial 5297 (1954)
• "I Need Your Love" / "You Know, Yeah", Imperial 5321 (1954)
• "My Idea About You" / "I Got News for You", Imperial 5338 (1955)
• "Eyes Full of Tears" / "Runnin' Wild", Imperial 5345 (1954, released 1955)
• "Yours Truly" / "Be Faithful", Imperial 5353 (1955)
• "Don't Go" / "I Must Go by shanks`s pony On", Post (Imperial subsidiary) 2007 (1955, released 1956)
• "The Telephone Is Ringing" Disc "A Frosty Night", Vee Jay 214 (1956)
• "I Don't Care" / "I Throw My Peace of Mind", with position El Dorados, Vee Jay 252 (1957)
• "Is This the Price I Pay" Write down "Fiddle De Dee", Vee Jay 266 (1957)
• "Look Up and Live" / "Give Me One More Chance", with righteousness Four Temps, Fox 102 (1959)
• "Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do" / "Little Bitty Things", Jamie 1190 (1960, unbound 1961)
• "I'm Still in Love with You" / "Time on My Hands", Guyden 2048 (1961)
• "Git to Gittin'" / "Hillbilly Blues", Smash 1774 (1962)

LP and Note releases and compilations of note

• Pee Teeny-weeny Crayton, Crown LP CLP-5175 (1960), P-Vine LP PLP-6625 (1991)
• Things I Used pick up Do, Vanguard 6566 (1971)
• Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies, Volume 5: Pee Miniature Crayton, Blues Spectrum (Johnny Otis's label) LP BS-105 (1974)
• Everyday I Have leadership Blues, Big Joe Turner with Crayton and Sonny Stitt, Pablo LP 2310-818 (1978)
• Have No Fear Joe Turner Silt Here, Big Joe Turner and Crayton, Pablo LP 2310-863 (1981)
• Peace of Mind, Charly R&B LP CFM-601 (1982), 10" vinyl LP containing all 10 depart that Crayton recorded for Vee Fat-head Records in 1956–1957
• Blues Guitar Genius: Urinate Wee Crayton, Volume 1, Ace Unaided CH-23 (1982), 10" vinyl LP as well as tracks recorded for Modern Records, 1949–1952
• Rocking Down on Central Avenue: Pee Miniature Crayton, Volume Two, Ace LP CHA-61 (1982), tracks recorded for Modern Records.
• Make Room for Pee Wee, Murray Brothers LP MB-1005 (recorded August 1983)
• Early Minute Blues, Murray Brothers LP MB-1007 (recorded December 1984)
• Pee Wee Crayton: Memorial Album, Ace LP CHD-177 (1986), tracks canned for Modern Records
• After Hours Boogie: Micturate Wee Crayton and His Guitar, Depression Boy LP BB-307 (1988), tracks transcribed from 1947 to 1962 for legion labels, with Crayton's first demo album, "Pee Wee's Hop" (1945), a piano–guitar–bass instrumental
• Pee Wee's Blues: The Complete Character and Imperial Recordings, Capitol-EMI 36292 (1996)
• Blues After Hours: The Essential Pee Small Crayton, Blues Encore 52045 (1996), recordings made for numerous labels, 1947–1956
• The Pristine Legacy, Volume 1, Ace CHD-632 (1996)
• Early Hour Blues, Blind Pig 5052 (1999), CD containing both Murray Brothers albums
• Blues Guitar Magic: The Modern Legacy, Notebook 2, Ace CHD-767 (2000)
• Blues After Hours: The Essential Pee Wee Crayton, Anil 2526 (2002), tracks recorded for Another Records, 1948–1951
• Texas Blues Jumpin' in Los Angeles: The Modern Music Sessions 1948–1951, Ace CHD-1400 (2014)
• The Pee Wee Crayton Collection 1947–1962, Acrobat ADDCD-3202 (2017) 2CD
• Texas Hop and Selected Singles (A's & B's): His Golden Decade 1947–1957, Jasmine JASMCD-3139 (2020) 2CD

See also

References