Kings of Rhythm
Kings of Rhythm are an American music group formed in the late 1940s in Clarksdale, Mississippi and led by Ike Turner through to his death in 2007. Turner would retain the name of the band throughout his career, although the group has undergone considerable line-up changes over time.
The Kings of Rhythm
- Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats
- Ike Turner & His Orchestra
- Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm
- Nasty Minds
- Family Vibes
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
late 1940s–1976, 1986-1987, 2001-present
The Tophatters
- Leo Dombecki – Keyboards, saxophone
- Bill Ray – Drums
- Armando Cepeda – Bass
- Ryan Montana – Saxophone
- Seth Blumberg – Guitar
- Earl Thomas
Ike Turner
Jackie Brenston
Willie Kizart
Raymond Hill
Willie "Bad Boy" Sims
Johnny O'Neal
Eugene Washington
Billy Gayles
Clayton Love
Ernest Lane
Jesse Knight Jr.
Bonnie Turner
Annie Mae Wilson
Jimi Hendrix
Leon Blue
Mack Johnson
Clifford Solomon
Billy Preston
Jackie Clark
Warren Dawson
Mark Landon
Soko Richardson
See members section for others
The group was an offshoot of a large big band ensemble called the Tophatters. By the late 1940s, Turner had renamed this group the Kings of Rhythm. Their early stage performances consisted largely of covers of popular jukebox hits of the day.[1] In 1951, Turner and his Kings of Rhythm recorded the song "Rocket 88" (credited to Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats), which is a contender for the first rock and roll record. The song is inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Singles.[2][3]
In the 1960s, the Kings of Rhythm became the band for the "Ike & Tina Turner Revue". For a few years in the early 1970s they were renamed the Family Vibes, and released two albums under that name. After the disbanding of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in 1976, Turner revived the Kings of Rhythm in 2001 and released the Grammy-nominated album Here And Now. The Kings of Rhythm backed Turner on his Grammy-winning album Risin' with the Blues (2006).[4] After Turner died in 2007, the band for some time was under the leadership of pianist Ernest Lane, who was a childhood friend of Turner's. The Kings of Rhythm continue to perform with vocalist Earl Thomas.[5]
Career[edit]
Formation: The Tophatters[edit]
As a teenager, Ike Turner joined a large rhythm ensemble in Clarksdale, Mississippi called the Tophatters, which included musicians Raymond Hill, Eugene Fox, and Clayton Love.[1][6] They performed at local dances, playing big band arrangements from sheet music.[7] At one point the Tophatters had over 30 members, and eventually split into two, with one act who wanted to carry on playing dance band jazz calling themselves the Dukes of Swing and the other, led by Turner, becoming the Kings of Rhythm.[8] A rivalry between the two former factions of the Tophatters lasted for some time, with the two staging an open air 'battle-of-the-bands' where they played from atop two flatbed trucks every fortnight.[7]
1940s: Early years[edit]
The Kings of Rhythm had a regular Wednesday night residency at Clarksdale's Harlem Theater. This got them bookings around the Mississippi Delta region. Their early stage performances consisted largely of covers of popular jukebox hits.[9] In March 1951 whilst driving between gigs, the Kings of Rhythm dropped in on a B.B. King club date in Chambers, Mississippi. Turner persuaded King to let the band sit in and play a number with him. King contests this, remembering that it was only Turner who sat in with his band. They were well received and the club owner booked them for a weekend residency, whilst King recommended them to Sam Philips at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.[7] In the 1950s, The Kings received regular airplay from live sessions on Clarksdale radio station WROX-AM, at the behest of DJ Early Wright. The band would sometimes play a session that lasted an hour.[10]