Guitar Slim

by Bill DahlNo 1950s blues guitarist even came close to equalling the flamboyant Guitar Slim in the showmanship department. Armed with an estimated 350 feet of cord between his axe and his amp, Slim would confidently stride onstage wearing a garishly hued suit of red, blue, or green — with his hair usually dyed to match! Its rare to find a blues guitarist hailing from Texas or Louisiana who doesnt cite Slim as one of his principal influences; Buddy Guy, Earl King, Guitar Shorty, Albert Collins, Chick Willis, and plenty more have enthusiastically testified to Slims enduring sway.Born Eddie Jones in Mississippi, Slim didnt have long to make such an indelible impression. He turned up in New Orleans in 1950, influenced by the atomic guitar energy of Gatemouth Brown. But Slims ringing, distorted guitar tone and gospel-enriched vocal style were his alone. He debuted on wax in 1951 with a mediocre session for Imperial that barely hinted at what would soon follow. A 1952 date for Bullet produced the impassioned Feelin Sad, later covered by Ray Charles (who would arrange and play piano on Slims breakthrough hit the next year).With the emergence of the stunning The Things That I Used to Do on Art Rupes Specialty logo, Slims star rocketed to blazing ascendancy nationwide. Combining a swampy ambience with a churchy arrangement, the New Orleans-cut track was a monster hit, pacing the R&B charts for an amazing 14 weeks in 1954. Strangely, although he waxed several stunning follow-ups for Specialty in the same tortured vein — The Story of My Life, Something to Remember You By, Sufferin Mind — as well as the blistering rockers Well I Done Got Over It, Letter to My Girlfriend, and Quicksand, Slim never charted again.The guitar wizard switched over to Atlantic Records in 1956. Gradually, his waxings became tamer, though It Hurts to Love Someone and If I Should Lose You summoned up the old fire. But Slims lifestyle was as wild as his guitar work. Excessive drinking and life in the fast lane took its inevitable toll over the years, and he died in 1959 at age 32. Only in recent years has his monumental influence on the blues lexicon begun to be fully recognized and appreciated.Incidentally, one of his sons bills himself as Guitar Slim, Jr. around the New Orleans circuit, his repertoire heavily peppered with his dads material.