ARBEE STIDHAM

Biography

Arbee William Stidham (February 9, 1917 – April 26, 1988) was born in De Valls Bluff, Arkansas, into a musical family; his father Luddie Stidham played with the Jimmie Lunceford Band, uncle Ernest led the Memphis Jug Band, and uncle Isaiah was a violinist. He attended Prairie Valley Training School and Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Little Rock, learning tenor saxophone, harmonica, and clarinet. At age 13, he formed Arbee Stidham and His Southern Syncopators, backing Bessie Smith on tour in 1930-1931, performing on KARK-AM radio, and playing clubs in Little Rock, Memphis, and Chicago with Lucky Millinder in the 1930s.[1][2]

In the mid-1940s, Stidham moved to Chicago, signing with RCA Victor through Lester Melrose in 1947. His debut single 'My Heart Belongs to You' topped Billboard's Race Records chart in June 1948, receiving massive jukebox play. A car accident in the 1950s ended his saxophone playing, leading him to learn guitar from Big Bill Broonzy; he recorded for Checker, States, Folkways (with Memphis Slim in 1960-1961), and others as a jazz-blues vocalist blending blues, jazz, and gospel. In the 1970s, he relocated to Cleveland, lecturing at Cleveland State University, performing with Robert Lockwood Jr., and appearing at festivals.[1][2][3]

Stidham's later career included 1965 Sun Records sessions (released 1976), a 1972 Ernie Wilkins Orchestra LP, 1975 Folkways album 'There's Always Tomorrow,' and 1982 performances with Willie Dixon's Blues Rent Party and his own band at Chicago's Kool Jazz Festival. His laid-back, expressive style made him a post-WWII R&B standout, though he never matched his hit's success; he died in Cook County, Illinois, aged 71.[1][2]

Fun Facts

• 'My Heart Belongs to You' received 181 radio requests on its first night of airplay and topped Billboard's Race Records chart while also charting on the 'ten most-played juke box records.'[1]
• A 1950s car accident forced him to retire the saxophone and switch to guitar under Big Bill Broonzy's guidance, inspiring his 1961 Folkways album Arbee's Blues as a 'triumph over long depression.'[1][2][6]
• In 1965, he recorded five unreleased songs at Sun Records in Memphis, issued 11 years later on a compilation.[1]
• He lectured on blues at Cleveland State University in the 1970s and starred in the short film 'Bluesman' around 1975.[1][2]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Big Bill Broonzy - Taught him guitar after car accident prevented saxophone playing (Post-1950s recordings) [1950s]

Key Collaborators

• Bessie Smith - Band backed her on tour (Tour performances) [1930-1931]
• Lester Melrose - Producer who signed him to RCA Victor (My Heart Belongs to You (1947)) [1947]
• King Curtis - Sideman on recordings (My Heart Belongs to You, Tired of Wandering (1961)) [1940s-1960s]
• Leonard Gaskin - Bassist on recordings (My Heart Belongs to You, Tired of Wandering) [1940s-1960s]
• Memphis Slim - Recorded together (Folkways sessions) [1960-1961]
• Willie Dixon - Performed with his Blues Rent Party band (Chicago Winter Jazz Fair) [1982]
• Robert Lockwood Jr. - Accompanied him at nightclub (Pirates Cove performances) [1970s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #chicago-blues, #electric-blues