MAXWELL STREET JIMMY

Biography

Charles W. Thompson, known as Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis, was born on March 2, 1925, in Tippo, Mississippi. In his teens, he learned guitar from John Lee Hooker, and the two performed together in Detroit after Davis relocated there in 1946, following earlier work with traveling minstrel shows like the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. He briefly lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, before settling in Chicago in 1953, where he became a fixture performing traditional and electrified Mississippi blues on Maxwell Street for over 40 years.[1]

Davis's career included early 1952 recordings 'Cold Hands' and '4th and Broad' for Sun Records under his real name, which went unreleased despite offers to other labels. Adopting the name Jimmy Davis, he recorded for Testament Records in 1964, featured on the 1965 compilation Modern Chicago Blues, and released a self-titled album on Elektra Records in 1965, praised for his powerful guitar and vocals. He owned the Knotty Pine Grill on Maxwell Street, performing outside it, and continued street performances on Chicago's West Side, with later tracks on Wolf Records' Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 11 (1994 release from 1988-1989 sessions).[1]

Known also as Jewtown Jimmy, Davis embodied Chicago's street blues scene without major commercial success. He died of a heart attack on December 28, 1995, in Chicago at age 70, leaving a legacy captured in a 1989 photo on the cover of BluesSpeak: The Best of the Original Chicago Blues Annual (2010).[1]

Fun Facts

• Also known as Jewtown Jimmy, reflecting his performances in Chicago's Jewish neighborhood on Maxwell Street.[1]
• Recorded two songs for Sun Records in 1952 under his real name, but they were never released despite interest from Chess and Bullet Records.[1]
• Owned and performed outside his own restaurant, the Knotty Pine Grill, on Maxwell Street during summers.[1]
• A 1989 photo of him performing appeared on the cover of BluesSpeak: The Best of the Original Chicago Blues Annual in 2010.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• John Lee Hooker - Taught him guitar in his teens; played concerts together (Concerts in Detroit) [1940s]

Key Collaborators

• Lester Davenport - Harmonica player on recordings (Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 11) [1988-1989]
• Kansas City Red - Drummer on recordings (Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 11) [1988-1989]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia