WAYNE BENNETT

Biography

Wayne Talmadge Bennett (December 13, 1932 – November 28, 1992) was an American blues guitarist born in Sulphur, Oklahoma, who later moved with his parents to Ardmore. He began playing guitar in his teens, performing in local bands, and in 1950 joined Amos Milburn's band, recording classics like 'Bad, Bad, Whiskey' and 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer' in California. By the early 1950s, he relocated to Chicago, playing with King Kolax's band, touring with The Moonglows, and recording with blues luminaries such as Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Arbee Stidham, Jimmy Reed, and Elmore James.[1]

In the late 1950s, Bennett toured and recorded with the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi before embarking on a decades-long association with Bobby Bland, spanning the late 1950s to mid-1960s and resuming in the mid-1970s to mid-1980s. Renowned for his jazz-tinged blues guitar style influenced by T-Bone Walker, his solos on Bland's 'Stormy Monday' from Here's The Man and 'Wishing Well' became classics, inspiring British guitarists like Eric Clapton. Bennett formally studied guitar with Harry Volpe in New York for two years and harmony with Nate Griffin and Junior Mance in Chicago, plus Tony Hanson in Cleveland. He also worked as a house musician at theaters like the Apollo in New York and Regal in Chicago, joined Red Saunders' band in 1965, released his solo instrumental 'Casanova, Your Playing Days are Over' in 1968, and collaborated with jazz artists including Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Stitt, and Dexter Gordon, as well as R&B groups like the Chi-Lites and Hues Corporation.[1]

Bennett's versatile career extended to Operation Breadbasket in the late 1960s and recordings with artists like Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Reed, Tyrone Davis, and Willy DeVille on Victory Mixture in 1990. He died in New Orleans from heart failure at age 59, just before a transplant, and was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2018, the Killer Blues Headstone Project placed a headstone for him in Providence Cemetery, New Orleans.[1]

Fun Facts

• Bennett's solo on Bobby Bland's 'Stormy Monday' from Here's The Man is hailed as a classic by multiple guitarists for blending T-Bone Walker blues with jazz elements.[1]
• He served as a house orchestra member at major theaters including the Apollo in New York, Howard in Washington D.C., Uptown in Philadelphia, and Royal in Baltimore.[1]
• In 2018, the Killer Blues Headstone Project erected a headstone for Bennett in Providence Cemetery, New Orleans, honoring his legacy.[1]
• Despite his extensive sideman work, his only solo release was the 1968 instrumental 'Casanova, Your Playing Days are Over' on Brunswick.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Harry Volpe - guitar teacher (formal study) [two years in New York City]
• Nate Griffin - harmony teacher (formal study) [one year in Chicago]
• Junior Mance - harmony teacher (formal study) [two years in Chicago]
• Tony Hanson - harmony and ear training teacher (formal study) [one year in Cleveland, Ohio]

Key Collaborators

• Bobby Bland - lead guitarist for tours and recordings (8 albums on Duke-Peacock, including Here's The Man ('Stormy Monday', 'Wishing Well')) [late 1950s–mid-1960s, mid-1970s–mid-1980s]
• Amos Milburn - band member and recording artist ('Bad, Bad, Whiskey', 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer') [1950]
• Five Blind Boys of Mississippi - touring and recording musician (2 albums on Peacock) [late 1950s]
• Otis Rush - recording session musician (mid-1950s sessions) [mid-1950s]
• Jimmy Reed - recording session musician (Big Boss Man (1968), Down in Virginia (1969)) [1968–1969]
• Tyrone Davis - recording session musician (5 albums on Dakar-Brunswick) [1960s–1970s]
• Chi-Lites - recording session musician (4 albums on Brunswick) [1960s–1970s]
• Cannonball Adderley - jazz collaborator (live and recording work) [late 1960s]

Artists Influenced

• Eric Clapton - inspired by blues guitar solos (British Invasion blues rock) [1960s]

Discography

Top Tracks

1. Every Night and Every Day (The Chicago Blues Collection)
2. Rockin' (Guitar Star)
3. Drawing On Dry Land (Mojo Boogie)
4. Every Night And Every Day (Mojo Boogie)
5. The Chicken (Rosco Rocks Again)
6. Hello Baby (Rosco Rocks Again)
7. Kansas City (Rosco Rocks Again)
8. I Don't Wanna Die (Rosco Rocks Again)
9. I Got So Many Women (Rosco Rocks Again)
10. Darling, I Really Love You (Rosco Rocks Again)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia