MCKINLEY MITCHELL

Biography

McKinley Mitchell (December 25, 1934 – January 18, 1986) was an American Chicago-based blues and rhythm and blues singer who began his musical career in gospel music.[1] Born on Christmas Day in Jackson, Mississippi, Mitchell showed early musical talent, fronting the gospel group the Hearts of Harmony at age 16.[4] He later performed with Tiny Button's quintet in Springfield, Massachusetts, gaining his first experience with secular music before moving to Philadelphia to form another gospel group, the Mitchellairs, in 1956.[4] Mitchell relocated to Chicago in 1958 and recorded his debut single "Lazy Dizzy Daisy" for Johnny Moore's Boxer label in 1959, featuring raw Chicago blues and rock and roll elements with Howlin' Wolf's longtime guitarist Willie Johnson.[4]

Mitchell's breakthrough came in 1962 with the self-penned ballad "The Town I Live In," recorded on the One-derful label with veteran trumpeter King Kolax leading the band.[4] The haunting track became a national R&B hit, peaking at number eight on the US Billboard R&B chart.[1][2] Throughout the early 1960s, Mitchell released several singles on One-derful, including "All Of A Sudden," "Darling That's What You Said," and "A Bit Of Soul," though none matched the commercial success of his signature hit.[4] Despite his early promise, Mitchell struggled to achieve consistent chart success and eventually left One-derful in 1965.[4]

After years of relative obscurity, Mitchell returned to Jackson, Mississippi, where his career experienced a revival in the mid-1970s.[4] He recorded "Trouble Blues" in 1976, which led to further recordings for the Chimneyville label, including a successful 1977 comeback with "The End Of The Rainbow."[4] Mitchell continued recording through the early 1980s for labels including Malaco and Southern Biscuit before his death from a heart attack on January 18, 1986, at age 51 in Chicago Heights, Illinois.[1][3]

Fun Facts

• Mitchell was born on Christmas Day (December 25, 1934), making his birthday particularly memorable.[1]
• His signature hit "The Town I Live In" was a self-penned ballad that he brought as a demo to producer George Leaner in late 1961, leading to its recording on New Year's Day 1962.[4]
• Mitchell recorded "The End Of The Rainbow" as early as 1969 for Empire Productions but didn't achieve success with it until his 1977 comeback release on the Chimneyville label.[4]
• Despite his early success with "The Town I Live In" peaking at #8 on the R&B charts, Mitchell struggled to replicate this success and blamed the loss of trumpeter King Kolax as a contributing factor to his lack of follow-up hits.[4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Willie Johnson - Lead guitarist for Howlin' Wolf who performed on Mitchell's debut recording, demonstrating raw Chicago blues guitar style ("Lazy Dizzy Daisy" (1959)) [1959]
• King Kolax - Veteran trumpeter who led the band on Mitchell's breakthrough hit and several subsequent recordings, shaping his sound ("The Town I Live In," "All Of A Sudden," "Darling That's What You Said" (1962-1962)) [1962]
• Tiny Button - Guitarist who gave Mitchell his first secular music experience in Springfield, Massachusetts (Live performances with Button's quintet) [Mid-1950s]

Key Collaborators

• King Kolax - Trumpeter and bandleader on multiple One-derful recordings (Multiple singles (1962)) [1962]
• Thomas 'Curley' Palmer - Guitarist and former Sonny Thompson sideman who performed on "The Town I Live In" ("The Town I Live In" (1962)) [1962]
• Cash McCall - Guitarist who collaborated with Mitchell in modernizing his sound (One-derful recordings (early 1960s)) [Early 1960s]
• Freddy Robinson - Guitarist who worked with Mitchell on later One-derful recordings (One-derful recordings (early 1960s)) [Early 1960s]
• Milt Bland - Co-producer and collaborator on multiple recordings ("A Bit Of Soul," "Hand Full Of Sorrows" (1963)) [1963]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia