Blues Artists

Big Joe Turner (1911-1985) was one of the great blues shouters of the 1930s and 1940’s. He started his career with boogie piano master Pete Johnson in Kansas City in the early 1930’s. Pete Johnson and Big Joe Turner appeared at the famous Spirituals To Swing concert organized by John Hammond at Carnegie Hall on 23 December 1938. In the fall of 1938 they recorded Roll “Em Pete for Vocalion Records.

Between 1940-1950 Big Joe Turner recorded for Decca Records, Specialty Records, RPM Records, National Records and Imperial Records before signing with Atlantic Records in 1951 and embarking on the best known portion of his career.

His best 1950’s recordings were on Atlantic Records. He was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Here are some websites with more information on Big Joe Turner:

Here are some videos of Big Joe Turner:

Performing Shake, Rattle And Roll, circa 1955. [Note: Big Joe Turner recorded the original version of this song for Atlantic Records. The better known Billy Haley & the Comets recording was a cover of the Big Joe Turner original.]

Oke-She-Moke_She-Pop, 1954

Appearing on a British TV show, May 1965

 

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