Amos Milburn biography

Amos Milburn (April 1, 1927 – January 3, 1980) was an African American rhythm and blues singer, and pianist, popular during the 1940s and 1950s. He was born and died in Houston, Texas. Milburn continued his successful drinking songs through 1952 {"Thinking and Drinking", "Trouble in Mind"} and was by now touring the country playing clubs. While touring the Midwest that summer, he announced that he would disband his combo team and continue as a solo act and that autumn he joined Charles Brown for a Southern concert tour. For the next few years each of his tours was composed of a series of one-nighters. After three years of solo performing he returned to Houston during 1956 to reform his band. During 1957 Milburn's releases with Aladdin Records did not sell well, and the record label company, having its own problems, terminated. He tried to regain commercial success with a few more releases with Ace Records but his time had passed. Radio airplay was emphasizing on the teenage market. Milburn contributed to the R&B Yuletide canon during 1960 with his swinging "Christmas (Comes but Once a Year)" for King. The song appeared as the b-side of Brown's holiday classic "Please Come Home for Christmas". Milburn's final recording was for an album by Johnny Otis. This was during 1972 after he had been incapacitated by a stroke, so much so that Otis had to play the left-hand piano parts for his enfeebled old friend. He was a commercial success for eleven years and influenced many performers. Fats Domino credited Milburn consistently as an influence on his music. Selected recordings "Amos Blues" - 1946 "Down the Road a Piece" - 1947 "Chicken Shack Boogie" - 1948 "A&M Blues" - 1948 "Bewildered" - 1948 "Hold Me, Baby" - 1949 "In the Middle of the Night" - 1949 "Roomin' House Boogie" - 1949 "Let’s Make Christmas Merry, Baby" - 1949 "Bad, Bad, Whiskey" - 1950 "Thinkin' And Drinkin" - 1952 - written by Rudy Toombs "Trouble in Mind" - 1952 "Let Me Go Home, Whiskey" - 1953 - written by Shifty Henry "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" - 1953 - also written by Rudy Toombs Rockin' The Boogie - (LP) - 1955 Let's Have A Party - (LP) - 1957 Amos Milburn Sings The Blues - (LP) - 1958 The Return of Blues Boss - (LP) - 1963 - Motown Records Compilations: The Best of Amos Milburn: Down the Road Apiece - (CD - 1994 - EMI America Records The Complete Aladdin Recordings of Amos Milburn - (CD box set) - 1994 - Mosaic Records Blues, Barrelhouse & Boogie Woogie - (CD box set) - 1996 - Capitol Records The Best of Amos Milburn - (CD) - 2001 - EMI-Capitol Special Markets