birth name: James David Walker
Jimmy McCracklin
A full half-century from when he started out in the blues business, Jimmy McCracklin is still touring, recording, and acting like a much younger man. In fact, he vehemently disputes his commonly accepted birth date, but since he began recording back in 1945, it seems reasonable. […] McCracklin's songwriting skills shouldn't be overlooked as an integral factor in his enduring success. He penned the funky ‘Tramp’ for guitarist Lowell Fulson and watched his old pal take it to the rarefied end of the R&B lists in 1967, only to be eclipsed by a sassy duet cover by Stax stalwarts Otis Redding and Carla Thomas a scant few months later. ~ Allmusic: Jimmy McCracklin ~ retrieved April 21, 2014 © Allmusic
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Honoring musicians. Celebrating birthdays. Remembering death days.
August 13, 1994 ~ Billboard Hot 100 ~ #3 (3) Coolio, Fantastic Voyage ~ #2 (2) All-4-One, I Swear ~ #1 (1) Lisa Loeb, Stay (I Missed You)
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Mr. McCracklin had been making records for more than a decade when he finally scored a national hit, ‘The Walk,’ for Checker Records in 1958. Recorded in Chicago, where he and his band, the Blues Blasters, had been stranded, the self-penned dance-inspired tune reached No. 5 on Billboard's pop singles chart and led to an appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. It was the first record by a Bay Area artist to place in the pop top 10 during the rock 'n' roll era. The Beatles later recorded a brief, impromptu version of the song during their Get Back sessions, but it was never released, except on bootleg albums ~ San Francisco Gate: Jimmy McCracklin Obituary ~ December 20, 2012 © San Francisco Gate