Okay, you’ve got blues guitarists who also sing (though not necessarily at the same time, like B.B. King). Are there any blues guitarists who are strongly associated with vocalists other than themselves? (Calling WordMan . . . )
Hubert Sumlin was most widely known as Howlin’ Wolf’s guitar player, but he also sang, too.
If Jeff Beck and Gary Moore count as Blues guitarists, J.B. is to Rod Stewart as Gary Moore is to Phil Lynot. Although both of these guys sing a little, too:
Man, I’d forgotten Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck – last time I saw him, he had Imelda May doing the honors.
Willie Brown is an early example, although it doesn’t seem that he was **strongly **associated with any one singer in particular.
Right, the question is not just “who didn’t sing,” but “and had a singer who was an important, identifiable part of the sound.” (Saw Kenny Wayne Shepherd last night, and his singer is an effin’ tool, which has me thinking about blues guitar and the role of the non-guitarist singer.)
Who is Matt Guitar Murphy?
You’re looking for a blues guitarist who’s not only well known themselves but also primarily plays with a the same well known singer.
How about Jimi Page and Robert Plant.
JJ Cale is typically associated with Eric Clapton.
And since Twix started the thread and didn’t mention them so I’m assuming she left them out on purpose, Tedeschi/Trucks. Admittedly, I don’t know enough about them to tell you if it fits the category other then that I know that Derek plays the blues and I don’t think I’ve ever heard his voice, even talking and Susan was getting around (vocally anyways) before they teamed up, so it seems like it fits the bill.
Page and Plant came to mind, but they aren’t first-gen Delta or Chicago Blues.
Hubert Sumlin comes to mind first for Howlin’ Wolf - already mentioned.
This is an interesting question.
Along similar lines, Steve Cropper was the “House Guitarist” for Stax Records in Memphis, and is associated with lots of singers, including Otis Redding and Booker T.
Left them out on purpose, yes, but because I was thinking of the Derek Trucks Band, for which Mike Mattison did the vocals (including band member intros). I have parted ways with him since Tedeschi-Trucks became his main project – but that’s a subject for a different essay.
And re: Led Zeppelin – excluded them because their primary persona is through the band – which is also why I excluded Keith Richards and Pete Townshend.
Basically, what I’m working on has morphed into a consideration of guitar god-hood, which makes Clapton an interesting case, since he moved from being a member of a group (and some seriously killer groups) to primarily fronting his own stuff with his first solo album in 1970 – though it took another four years for that persona to really gel, with the release of “Ocean Blvd.” in 1974. And it’s with his solo career that we really start hearing his voice (sic) as a singer.
J. Geils. Even though the band is named for him, the singer was Peter Wolf.
There’s also Jimmy Johnson, though he was primarily a sessions musician.
Paul Butterfield was a vocalist and harmonica player.
some people he played with like Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop didn’t sing.
Although, he does sing, I believe Mick Taylor is still primarily known for his work with the Stones.
What about Santana?
Also, while not technically a “blues” guitarist, James Burton will always be tied to Elvis (among others).
Doesn’t KWS sing, though? At least he did on the first few albums IIRC.
How about Randy Bachman while he was with Guess Who? Some bluesyness there.
Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets featuring Sam Myers. Sam did vocals and played harp. Anson played guitar. Fantastic pairing right up to Sam’s death a few years ago.
Sam was blind. He would show up at a venue and memorize his walk to the stage, practicing it over and over. He was very touchy about his situation. I saw him play a small local club one night. The band played a few songs, then Sam began his walk to the stage. People were cheering. A guy sitting near me started to stand up and I reached out to grab his arm, but he shook me off. He approached Sam and took his arm. Sam screamed, “get the fuck off me!”
Sam Myers, RIP.
Yeah, he does, making his use of this second singer all the more bewildering. It’s not like he [the tool] has a great, distinctive voice.
I have been on the road and swamped at work. I have to get some bandwidth to noodle this. I would never’ve guessed it was this hard. Interesting commentary on how blues musicians came together - lots of studio work, and blues guitarists having to do a lot of solo gigs, I guess…
I went in a different direction than the one I started with (see the OP): here’s where I ended up in my thinking on vocalists.
Would Peter Green or Billy Gibbons make the cut? They sing but not all the time…
or, Robin Trower? I mentioned this post and my work buddy has been throwing suggestions.