A recently discovered and rare 2003 interview with the late singer and songwriter, who was a legend in the blues and R&B communities.
Video Content: Jimmy McCracklin (2003):
Recorded in 2003, SIDEWALKS host Cindy Rhodes has a brief “red carpet” interview with the singer and songwriter at the California Music Awards. Some of the questions by Rhodes, who was new, at the time of the interview, to his body of work, include where he was from, working with other recording artists, and winning that day the California Music Award. Mr. McCracklin passed away on December 20, 2012.
Mini-Biography:
Born in 1921, blues singer and pianist Jimmy McCracklin is truly a legend in the music business, where he was known for his West Coast blues and R&B style. He composed close to a thousand songs and recorded hundreds, including the hit “The Walk,” which reached No. 7 on the Billboard pop chart in 1958. Some of his other singles are “Think,” “Just Got to Know,” “Shame, Shame, Shame” and “My Answer.” Resided for most of his life in the Richmond, California area, Mr. McCracklin had a career that spanned seven decades, which started with a debut single called “Miss Mattie Left Me” in 1945 for Globe Records and followed by “Street Loafin’ Woman” the next year. In 1946, McCracklin formed a group called Jimmy McCracklin and his Blues Blasters. His first solo album was “Jimmy McCracklin Sings” in 1962 and his last album, “Hey Baby,” was released in 2010. Mr. McCracklin recorded for many small labels in Los Angeles and Oakland, including Modern Records. He had a short-lived label, Art-Tone, in the 1960s and ran the Continental Club in San Francisco in the early 70s. He recorded over 30 albums, earned four gold records, and was awarded many honors, such as The Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation (in 1990) and the Living Legend and Hall of Fame award at the Bay Area Black Music Awards (in 2007).
Interview Credits:
Recorded: 2003 at the California Music Awards
Host / Segment Producer: Cindy Rhodes
Videographer: William Hodgson
Editor: Richard R. Lee