Amos Milburn

Not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Eligible since: 1972

First Recording: 1946

Previously Considered? No  what's this?

Amos Milburn
HALL OF FAME INDICATORS
🔲Rolling Stone 500 Albums
🔲Rolling Stone 500 Songs
🔲Rolling Stone Cover
🔲Saturday Night Live
🔲Major Festival Headliner
🔲Songwriters Hall of Fame
🔲“Big Four” Grammys
500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll

Essential Songs (?)WikipediaYouTube
In The Middle of The Night (1949)
One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer (1953)

Amos Milburn @ Wikipedia

Will Amos Milburn be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
"Musical excellence is the essential qualification for induction."
Yes: 
No :


Comments

2 comments so far (post your own)

Amos Milburn is someone I'd be comfortable with being inducted as either an Early Influence or as a Performer, as his recording debut is close enough to what the Hall considers the beginning of the rock 'n roll era (1954/55). His first recording, Amos Blues, was cut in 1946, so he fits the timeline for Early Influences, but his prime years (1948-1953) were just on the cusp of rock 'n roll's emergence into the mainstream.

The Rock Before Elvis site contains some great info regarding Milburn's influence on Fats Domino and the transition from the boogie-woogie to the rock 'n roll piano playing styles. Here it is:

"Texas pianist Amos Milburn (b. Houston, 1927; d. 1980) was a link between boogie woogie and rock 'n' roll piano styles. He improved upon the traditional left hand boogie woogie pattern of a walking bass--the eight-note bass pattern repeating every two bars--and did a faster 4-note pattern, with lightning fast figures on the right hand. You can hear the same thing on Fats Domino's early recordings, and Domino has often said that Amos Milburn was a main inspiration for him. Milburn claimed, as his own inspiration, Louis Jordan, Albert Ammons, Ivory Joe Hunter, and lifetime friend, Charles Brown."

The full page is available here: http://www.hoyhoy.com/artists/amos.htm

The Legacy section of his Wiki entry also has this information:

"The Texan boogie-woogie pianist and singer was an important performer of blues music during the years immediately after World War II.[8] Milburn was one of the first performers to switch from sophisticated jazz arrangements to a louder "jump" blues. He began to emphasize rhythm and technical qualities of voice and instrumentation second.[9] His energetic songs, about getting 'high', were admired by fellow musicians, such as Little Willie Littlefield, Floyd Dixon and his prime disciple, Fats Domino.[5]

He was a commercial success for eleven years and influenced many performers. Fats Domino credited Milburn consistently as an influence on his music.[6]"

Now here's some fascinating info I wasn't previously aware of: Amos Milburn signed with Motown in 1962, long after his peak, and recorded for them for two years. Stevie Wonder even sat in with Milburn during one of his Motown sessions and provided a harmonica solo on the remake of Chicken Shack Boogie.

Posted by Zach on Monday, 10/28/2013 @ 14:39pm


He is the man.... Mo Boogie ... Many in rockers followed his musical moves... From Fats to Stones and beyond .. I just love da Boogie don't you..??

Posted by Happy on Monday, 05/1/2017 @ 23:54pm


Leave your comment:





In the alphabet, which letter is between D and F?



Note: Emails will not be visible or used in any way, but are required. Please keep comments relevant to the topic. Any content deemed inappropriate or offensive may be edited and/or deleted.

No HTML code is allowed.


Future Rock Legends is your home for Amos Milburn and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, including year of eligibility, number of nominations, induction chances, essential songs and albums, and an open discussion of their career.


This site is not affiliated with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.