Rosco Gordon

📅 آخر تحديث: ٢٨ يوليو ٢٠٢٦
✍️ نُشر في: ٢٨ يوليو ٢٠٢٦
الموسوعة الحرة

Rosco N. Gordon III (April 10, 1928 – July 11, 2002),[2] sometimes billed as Roscoe Gordon, was an American blues singer, pianist, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit songs "Booted," (1952), "No More Doggin'" (1952), and "Just a Little Bit" (1960).[3] Gordon was a pioneer of the Memphis blues style.[4] He played piano in a style known as the "Rosco rhythm," with the emphasis on the off-beat.[5] This rhythm was an influence on later musical styles such as Jamaican ska and reggae. In 2026 Gordon was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame

Biography

Gordon was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 10, 1928, the youngest of eight children.[6] He learned to play piano from his sister who took lessons. Gordon became associated with Johnny Ace, Bobby Bland and B.B. King, sometimes referred to as the Beale Streeters.[5][7] In 1946, Gordon moved to Chicago "after getting in trouble in Memphis."[6] He returned to Memphis in 1949, and won first place at an amateur show at the Palace Theatre on Beale Street in 1950. Emcee of the show Rufus Thomas invited Gordon to play on his radio show at WDIA. Soon after, Gordon had his own show as well.[6]

In 1951, WDIA manager, David Mattis, introduced Gordon to producer Sam Phillips.[6] Around this time, Gordon was scouted by Ike Turner, talent scout for the Bihari brothers, to record for Modern Records.[8] His first hit single, "Saddled the Cow (and Milk the Horse)," released on RPM Records (subsidiary of Modern) reached No. 9 on the Billboard R&B chart.[9]

Gordon's next single "Booted" was recorded at Phillips' Memphis Recording Service.[8] Phillips licensed the record to the Chess brothers at Chess Records, which was released as a single in December 1951.[10][7] Gordon also recorded a version for the Bihari brothers at RPM, released in January 1952.[11][4] The RPM release reached number-one on the Billboard R&B record chart in March 1952.[6][3] The Chess and the Bihari brothers later settled the conflict, with the Biharis getting exclusive rights to Gordon and Chess signing Howlin' Wolf to an exclusive contract.[12] For years, Gordon did not receive royalties for his songs. "Sam Phillips gave me one hundred dollars. One hundred. No royalties. No nothin'. But, I did it for the Biharis, now they gave me six hundred dollars. No royalties. No nothin'. But like I say, I didn't know any better," he said.[6]

Gordon also had a successful record with "No More Doggin'" (No. 2 R&B) which was also released by RPM in 1952.[13][11] Between 1952 and 1959, Gordon released numerous singles on Duke, Sun, Flip, and Vee-Jay Records. His last single to reach the charts was "Just a Little Bit" (No. 2 R&B, No. 64 Pop) in 1960.[3][4] He was paid $250 for the song which became an R&B standard, covered by Etta James, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Butler.[5] Gordon didn't receive royalties from the millions of copies sold in cover versions, because producer Ralph Bass at King Records stole the song from a demo Rosco sent and had it copyrighted before him.[6]

In the late 1950s, Gordon toured internationally, reaching South America and the Caribbean, where his off-beat rhythmic technique influenced the sound of early ska and reggae.[5]

في عام ١٩٦٢، اعتزل غوردون صناعة الموسيقى وانتقل إلى كوينز ، نيويورك، مع زوجته الجديدة، حيث اشترى حصة في مشروع غسيل ملابس بعد فوزه في لعبة بوكر بورقتين من فئة الاثنين. [ ٥ ] في عام ١٩٦٩، أسس غوردون شركته الخاصة، باب-روك، التي كانت تُدار من منزله، لكنه لم يُحيي حفلات موسيقية مجدداً حتى عام ١٩٨١. في عام ١٩٨٣، أصدر ألبوم روسكو روكس أغين ، الذي سُجّل مباشرةً في نادي ١٠٠ في لندن . [ ١٤ ] بعد وفاة زوجته عام ١٩٨٤، عاد إلى الجولات الفنية. [ ٥ ]

في عام 2000، تعاون غوردون مع عازف غيتار البلوز ديوك روبيلارد لإصدار ألبوم "ممفيس، تينيسي" . [ 15 ] وفي عام 2002، دعاه المخرج ريتشارد بيرس للمشاركة في فيلم وثائقي عن عدد من موسيقيي البلوز العائدين إلى ممفيس لتكريم سام فيليبس بالتزامن مع حفل توزيع جوائز دبليو سي هاندي في مايو 2002. عُرض الفيلم الوثائقي، " الطريق إلى ممفيس" ، على قناة PBS التلفزيونية. [ 16 ] بعد ستة أسابيع من انتهاء التصوير، توفي غوردون عن عمر يناهز 74 عامًا إثر نوبة قلبية في شقته في ريغو بارك، كوينز ، في 11 يوليو 2002. [ 7 ] وترك وراءه ثلاث بنات: فيكتوريا، وديبورا، وروبي؛ وثلاثة أبناء: مارك، وروسكو الثالث، وكيث؛ وشقيقة: إيلا غوردون جيفرسون؛ وعشرة أحفاد. [ 5 ] دُفن في مقبرة روزديل في ليندن، نيو جيرسي .

في عام 2026، تم إدخال غوردون بعد وفاته إلى قاعة مشاهير موسيقى البلوز . [ 17 ]

قائمة الأغاني

ألبومات

مجموعات

  • 1977: الفنانون الأسطوريون في شركة صن: روسكو جوردون ( شارلي ريكوردز )
  • 1980: أفضل أعمال روسكو جوردون، المجلد الأول ( تسجيلات إيس )
  • 1982: المجلد الثاني: جلسات ممفيس (تسجيلات إيس)
  • 1993: مجرد القليل ( تسجيلات في-جاي )
  • 1996: إيقاع روسكو (تسجيلات تشارلي)
  • 1998: Bootin' (أفضل ما في سنوات RPM) (Ace Records)
  • 2004: A Proper Introduction to Rosco Gordon - No More Doggin' (Proper Records)
  • 2009: Let's Get High: The Man About Music From Memphis (JSP Records)
  • 2016: Just A Little Bit (Jasmine Records)

References

  1. ↑Hepworth, David (2018). Nothing is Real - The Beatles Were Underrated And Other Sweeping Statements About Pop. Transworld. ISBN 9781473561045. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  2. ↑Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger Publishing. p. 246. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  3. 123Whitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 170. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.
  4. 123Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 114. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  5. 1234567"Rosco Gordon, 74, Blues Singer Who Influenced Rock and Ska". The New York Times. July 22, 2002. ISSN 0362-4331.
  6. 1234567Farley, Charles (2011). Soul of the Man: Bobby "Blue" Bland. Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 32–35. ISBN 978-1-60473-920-6.
  7. 123Thomas, Bryan. "Rosco Gordon: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  8. 12"Rosco Gordon". All About Blues Music. July 11, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  9. ↑"Roscoe Gordon Songs ••• Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Music VF.
  10. ↑"Rhythm & Blues Record Releases"(PDF). Billboard. December 29, 1951. p. 26.
  11. 12Gillett, Charlie (2011). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll. Souvenir Press. ISBN 9780285640245.
  12. ↑Cohodas, Nadine (2000). Spinning Blues into Gold. St. Martin's Press. p. 64. ISBN 0-312-26133-0.
  13. ↑"Most Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues"(PDF). Billboard. May 10, 1952. p. 35.
  14. ↑"Rosco Rocks Again - Rosco Gordon | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  15. ↑"Memphis, Tennessee – Rosco Gordon | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  16. ↑Gallo, Phil (September 6, 2003). "The Road To Memphis". Variety. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  17. ↑"BLUES HALL OF FAME - ABOUT/Inductions". Blues.org. Retrieved March 5, 2026.