SAMMY LAWHORN

En la fotografía : George Beasley, Sammy Lawhorn, Jimmie Lee Robinson, Willie Black, Little Willie Anderson at B.L.U.E.S. – 1979 (Photo by Jim O'Neal)

SAMMY LAWHORN nació en Little Rock, Arkansas , y fué ante todo un respetado acompañante que trabajó durante nueve años con el grupo de MUDDY WATERS, a partir de 1956 , después de haber estado con SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON y WILLIE COBBS, entre otros.Waters acabó por despedir a Lawhorn en 1973 por sus excesos con la bebida. Sus arranques inesperados y el toque de su guitarra, ya habían dejado huella en el Blues .Al final terminó como músico de estudio ,participando en los trabajos de James Cotton, Junior Wells y Koko Taylor. Como muestra una grabación suya de las pocas que se encuentras, y diferentes colaboraciones con diferentes formaciones de MUDDY WATERS. 

                 

                     

Woodstock Album Muddy Waters : GOING DOWN TO MAIN STREET / CALDONIA / LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL - Sidemen :
Paul Butterfield, armonica
Henry Glover, produttore
Levon Helm, basso / batteria / produttore
Garth Hudson, fisarmonica / tastiere / sassofono
Howard Johnson, sassofono
Sammy Lawhorn, chitarra
Bob Margolin, chitarra
"Pinetop" Perkins, pianoforte

Muddy Waters, vocal / guitar

                   


Rare Live Recordings Volume 3 (Black Bear LP 903)
Radio broadcast, Stockholm, Nov. 1970
Muddy Waters - Vocal, Guitar
Carey Bell - Harmonica
Pinetop Perkins - Piano
Sammy Lawhorn - Guitar
Pee Wee Madison - Guitar
Sonny Wimblerly - Bass

Willie Smith - Drums




Sammy David Lawhorn (July 12, 1935 – April 29, 1990) was an American Chicago blues guitarist, best known as a member of Muddy Waters' band although he also accompanied many other blues musicians including Otis Spann, Willie Cobbs, Eddie Boyd, Roy Brown, Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton and Junior Wells.

Lawhorn was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. His parents soon separated with his mother remarrying, leaving the young Lawhorn cared for by his grandparents. Nailing some baling twine to the side of their home he made his own diddley bow. Frequently visiting his mother and stepfather in Chicago, they bought him a ukulele to play, followed in turn by an acoustic and finally electric guitar. By the age of fifteen, Lawhorn was proficient enough to accompany Driftin' Slim on stage, and with further guidance from Sonny Boy Williamson II, began playing with him on the King Biscuit Time radio program.

Lawhorn was conscripted in 1953 and served in the United States Navy where, on a tour of duty in Korea, he was injured by enemy fire during aerial reconnaissance. He continued in service and was discharged in 1958, when he moved to Memphis, Tennessee. There he undertook recording sessions with The "5" Royales, Eddie Boyd, Roy Brown and Willie Cobbs. An argument arose with the latter over the writing credits for the song "You Don't Love Me." Finding work on his own in Chicago in 1958, Lawhorn soon relocated, despite having a guitar stolen at one of his early club performances.

By the early 1960s, Lawhorn had found regular work as a club sideman to Junior Wells, Otis Rush and Elmore James, which led to him sitting in with Muddy Waters band on a couple of occasions. By October 1964, Lawhorn was invited to join the Muddy Waters band on a full-time basis. Over the next decade, he subsequently played on a number of Muddy Waters' albums including Live At Mister Kelly's, The London Muddy Waters Sessions, The Woodstock Album, and Folk Singer.

Lawhorn's guitar work also featured when Muddy Waters' band supplied backing to John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton and Otis Spann. Lawhorn's use of the tremolo arm on his guitar, and his overall playing expertise, saw him later credited by Muddy Waters as the best guitarist he ever had in his band. However, Lawhorn's career started to be hampered by his drinking. Passing out on stage over his amplifier, off stage whilst sitting in clubs, or missing shows altogether, led to Muddy Waters losing patience and firing Lawhorn in 1973. He was replaced by Bob Margolin.

Lawson simply returned to playing in Chicago clubs, and remained in the recording industry with appearances on Junior Wells' On Tap, plus James Cotton's Take Me Back (1987). He also supplied his guitar skills to recorded work by Koko Taylor, Jimmy Witherspoon, Little Mack Simmons, and L. C. Robinson. His work in several Chicago haunts saw him play alongside his childhood idols in T-Bone Walker and Lightnin' Hopkins. Assistance proffered by Lawhorn to up and coming musicians of the time saw John Primer become a disciple.

A combination of alcoholism and arthritis started to cause Lawhorn's health to fail. The latter was contributed to when he was thrown from a third floor window by a burglar, breaking both his feet and ankles.

Lawhorn died in April 1990 at the age of 54 with his death certificate citing natural causes.

Con uno de los combos de MUDDY WATERS , BIG MAMA THORTON, COTTON , etc.