Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921–March 6, 1999) was a big-voiced blues guitarist in the West Coast tradition. He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recorded for business reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. According to some sources, Fulson was born on a Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma. Fulson has stated that he is of Cherokee ancestry through his father, but he has also claimed Choctaw ancestry. At the age of eighteen, Fulson joined Alger "Texas" Alexander but later moved to California, forming a band which soon included a young Ray Charles and tenor saxophone great Stanley Turrentine. He recorded for Swing Time in the 1940s, Chess Records (Checker Records) in the 1950s, Kent Records in the 1960s, and Rounder Records (Bullseye) in the 1970s. His most memorable and influential compositions include: “3 O’Clock Blues” (now a blues standard), the classic "Everyday I have the Blues", “Lonesome Christmas", “Reconsider Baby” (covered in 1960 by Elvis Presley and later by Eric Clapton as part of his From the Cradle album as well as Joe Bonamassa), and “Tramp” (later covered by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas). Fulson was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1993 [1] and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. His “Reconsider Baby” was chosen by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". A resident of Los Angeles, Fulson died in Long Beach, California at age 77. His companion Tina Mayfield stated that the causes of death were complications from kidney disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. He was the father of four and grandfather of thirteen.[2] In the 2004 film Ray, a biopic of Ray Charles, Fulson was portrayed by blues musician Chris Thomas King.
Discography
Recommended compilation
- San Francisco Blues (1988)
