L.V. Banks | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 28, 1932 Stringtown, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | May 2, 2011 (aged 78) Chicago, Illinois |
| Genres | Chicago blues, electric blues, soul blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s–2011 |
| Labels | Wolf |
L.V. Banks (October 28, 1932 – May 2, 2011) [1] was an American Chicago blues and soul blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a respected club performer in Chicago for many years. He recorded two albums for Wolf Records.
Life and career
Banks was born in Stringtown, Mississippi. [2] [3] He taught himself to play the guitar and fronted a blues band in Greenville, Mississippi. His musical influences included B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and Little Milton. [4] Banks moved to St. Louis, Missouri, [1] before he was drafted into the U.S. Army. After his duty was over, in the early 1960s, he relocated to Chicago, Illinois. [2] He played on Maxwell Street and later was a regular fixture for over three decades in local clubs, particularly on the South Side. [1] [2] In the early 1990s, Banks acted as mentor to the then-teenaged blues musician Marty Sammon. [5]
Banks's debut album, Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear, was released in June 1998 on the Austrian label Wolf. John Primer played guitar on the album. [6] A second album, Ruby, was released by Wolf in 2000. It was his final album. [7]
He died of heart failure in the South Shore Hospital, in Chicago, in May 2011, aged 78. His son, Tre' is following his father's tradition as a Chicago-based blues musician. [1]
Discography
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear | Wolf Records |
| 2000 | Ruby | Wolf Records |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Bob Corritore (May 29, 2011). "L.V. Banks RIP". Bluesman2001.blogspot.com. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Hanson, Karen (2007). Today's Chicago Blues (1st ed.). Chicago: Lake Claremont Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-893121-19-5.
- ^ a b "L.V. Banks > Discography > Main Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ^ Ed Kopp (April 1, 2000). "L.V. Banks: Ruby". Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ^ "L.V. Banks, Bluesman: Rest in Peace". G-freethoughts.blogspot.com. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ^ "Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear > Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ^ "Ruby > Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
External links
- 1932 births
- 2011 deaths
- American blues singers
- American male singers
- American blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- Chicago blues musicians
- Electric blues musicians
- Soul-blues musicians
- Blues musicians from Mississippi
- Songwriters from Mississippi
- People from Bolivar County, Mississippi
- Songwriters from Illinois
- Guitarists from Illinois
- Guitarists from Mississippi
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- American male songwriters