big george brock

Biography

Big George Brock was born on May 16, 1932, in Grenada, Mississippi, into a family of sharecroppers on a plantation in the Mississippi Delta. He began playing harmonica around age eight, inspired initially by country singer-harmonica player Wayne Raney heard on the radio, and later by listening to John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson's 78 r.p.m. records on his mother's Victrola. By the late 1940s, Brock was performing at house parties and fish fries around the Clarksdale area, where he fell under the spell of his major influence, Howlin' Wolf, who performed locally each week in the town of Walls. During this period, Brock also developed a passion for boxing, fighting on a local level with considerable success, reportedly even knocking out future world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in a sparring match in St. Louis—an experience that later influenced his participation in numerous "Battle of the Blues" contests with other local musicians.

After moving to St. Louis by the early 1950s, Brock began sitting in at clubs around town before forming his band Big George and the Houserockers, which worked in clubs and taverns throughout the city. By the late 1950s, he had opened his own establishment, the Club Caravan, where he performed regularly with his Houserockers and hosted numerous national acts including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Albert King, Gatemouth Brown, and Ike and Tina Turner. He maintained a long association with St. Louis guitarist Riley Coatie Sr., collaborating on stage and in the studio for decades. Despite performing for several decades, Brock did not make his first recordings until 1990 with the release of the LP Should Have Been There. His career gained significant momentum after 2004 when he began working with blues entrepreneur Roger Stolle, leading to his label debut Club Caravan on Cat Head Presents in 2005, which garnered international acclaim and led to European tours.

Big George Brock remained committed to the 1950s postwar blues style throughout his seven-decade career, maintaining an unadulterated approach to the music he learned directly from his mentors. He passed away peacefully at his home in St. Louis on April 10, 2020, after a lengthy illness, leaving behind a legacy as a dedicated custodian of authentic Delta and St. Louis blues traditions. Though he did not achieve wider recognition until late in life, Brock's absolute dedication to the blues and his role as a cultural ambassador of the genre secured his place in blues history.

Fun Facts

• Big George Brock reportedly knocked out future world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in a sparring match in St. Louis, demonstrating his boxing prowess before focusing primarily on music.
• Brock was so dominant in local "Battle of the Blues" contests that he always retained the title—something he considered his proudest achievement, receiving a large prize fighter-style belt as the winner.
• Despite performing for several decades, Brock did not make his first recordings until 1990 at age 58, remaining a local St. Louis legend for most of his career before achieving international recognition late in life.
• Brock's wife was tragically killed by a stray bullet at his Club Caravan in 1970, leading him to shut down the original establishment, though he later continued to operate other St. Louis venues under the same name.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Howlin' Wolf - Major influence who performed locally in Walls, Mississippi; Brock fell under his spell during his teenage years in the Mississippi Delta (Live performances in Walls, Mississippi; later hosted at Club Caravan) [Late 1940s onwards]
• John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson - Early harmonica influence; Brock listened to his 78 r.p.m. records on his mother's Victrola (78 r.p.m. recordings) [1940s]
• Wayne Raney - Country singer-harmonica player heard on the radio who inspired Brock's early harmonica playing (Radio broadcasts) [1940s]
• Muddy Waters - Direct mentor; Brock learned the 1950s postwar blues style directly from him (Live performances at Club Caravan and other venues) [1950s onwards]

Key Collaborators

• Riley Coatie Sr. - St. Louis guitarist with whom Brock maintained a long association, working together on stage and in the studio (Live performances and studio recordings) [Multiple decades]
• Big George and the Houserockers - Brock's own band that performed regularly at Club Caravan and other St. Louis venues (Club Caravan performances and recordings) [1950s-1980s]
• Roger Stolle - Blues entrepreneur and producer who worked with Brock starting in 2004, producing his label debut and documentary (Club Caravan (2005), Round Two, Live at Seventy Five, Hard Times documentary (2006)) [2004-2006]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. I Just Want To Make Love To You (Heavyweight Blues)
2. Walking Thru The Park (Heavyweight Blues)
3. Still A Fool (Two Trains Running) (Heavyweight Blues)
4. Cut You Loose (Live At Seventy Five)
5. So Long (Round Two)
6. All Night Long (Club Caravan)
7. So Long (Homeward Bound: A Loving Tribute to John-Alex Mason)
8. Smokestack Lightining (Heavyweight Blues)
9. Tiger In Your Tank (Heavyweight Blues)
10. Trouble No More (Heavyweight Blues)

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)