<back - T-BONE WALKER - Aaron Thibeaux Walker was born on May 28, 1910 in Linden, Texas. As a boy he lead legendary Bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson around the streets of Dallas. He saved his money from playing church socials on weekends and bought his first guitar when in high school. T-Bone Walker's big break came in 1929, winning first prize in a amateur show with first prize being a week with Cab Calloway's band. This lead T-bone to recording for Columbia Records under the name Oak Cliff T-Bone and released Witchita Fall Blues and Trinity River Blues that same year. 

T-Bone Walker was one of the first Blues musicians to experiment with the electric guitar, and between 1935 and 1936, T-Bone Walker was using a prototype of the electric guitar. In 1939, T-bone joined the Les Hite's Cotton Club Orchestra and recorded his 'T-Bone Blues'. T-Bone Walker left the band in 1940, due to this success and worked the LA club circuit. He began recording for Capitol Records in 1942. This partnership produced T-bone's most popular hit Call It Stormy Monday. T-Bone established his reputation as the 'Father of Electric Blues', and his hits were played on Top 10 radio nationwide. During this time, T-Bone toured on a triple-header Blues package with Lowell Fulson and a rotating cast of other Blues artists that included Ray Charles, Jimmy Witherspoon, Wynonie Harris, and Big Joe Turner. In 1950, T-Bone left Capitol and went to Imperial Records. He was with the label for 5 years and recorded over 50 sides including I Walked Away and Cold Cold Feeling. In 1955, he signed with the Atlantic Records and produced T-Bone Blues, which is considered to be one of his best recordings. He got another break in 1960, singing with Count Basie. T-Bone loved Count Basie's band, and said he would have "paid my own salary just to hear those Basie cats blow".  At that time Europe was beginning to discover the Blues. An all-star tour was put together featuring T-bone plus, Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Terry n' Brownie McGhee. While in Hamburg, they recorded 'The Original American Folk Blues Festival', quite possibly the greatest Blues record ever made. This lead to Polydor Records wanting to record him in 1970. In 1972 he was back in Los Angeles and had found that he had won a Grammy Award for his Polydor album Good Feelin'.  This had a revitalizing effect on his musical  career at home, and T-Bone Walker hit the road. During this time, he and Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson were in a car accident. T-bone was in hospital for several months and never fully recovered. He quit performing in 1974, and passed on March 16, 1975. T-Bone was a defining influence on Blues guitarists like Duke Robillard, BB King, Albert King, Ronnie Earl, Buddy Guy, and Jimmie Vaughan. T-Bone Walker was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame (1980) and the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Mp3- Cold Feeling | Strollin'