Elmore James, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, are just a few of the artist who have influenced Sam Myers.
Whom Sam Myers Influenced? Everyone.
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A house-rocking blues life from the Mississippi-born front man of Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets
Sam Myers: The Blues Is My Story recounts the life of bluesman Sam Myers (1936-2006), as told in his own words to author Jeff Horton. Myers grew up visually handicapped in the Jim Crow South and left home to attend the state school for the blind at Piney Woods. Myers’s intense desire to become a musician and a scholarship from the American Conservatory School of Music called him to Chicago. There in 1952 he joined Elmore James’s band as a drummer and was featured on some of James’s best-known recordings. Following the elder bluesman’s death in 1963, Myers fronted bands of his own and recorded many well-received singles and albums. In 1986, Myers became the W. C. Handy Award-winning front man, vocalist, and harmonica player for Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets.
Throughout the book, Myers provides a historical context to a bygone era of the blues and reveals his own thoughts and feelings about the musicians with whom he played. And they are a list of who’s who in the blues-Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Hound Dog Taylor, and Robert Lockwood Junior in addition to Elmore James. In one chapter Myers describes a personalized deeper meaning to the blues. And in another he relates a series of anecdotes about the lighter side of life on the road.
Contributions from Myers’s father and stories from a boyhood friend round out the narrative. Dallas musician Brian "Hash Brown" Calway dissects the more technical aspects of Myers’s harmonica style. Long-time friend and bandmate, Anson Funderburgh, weighs in with a chapter about their songwriting methods and offers some of his own recollections on their twenty years together.
An award-winning and prolific musician and singer Sam Myers wrote and recorded what was to be his most famous single, "Sleeping in the Ground," in 1956. He toured all over the U.S. and around the world with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets. Jeff Horton is a blues musician and journalist active in the Texas blues scene. His work has been published in Southwest Blues magazine.
You can buy the book on Amazon. While you’re there, be sure to check out the great user review from local musician Sonny Collie.
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Sam Myers and Ronda from Atlanta, GA
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Sam & Pinetop Perkins - courtesy of Ronda
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Sam & Robert Lockwood Jr. - courtesy of Ronda
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This picture of Anson and Sam is from the Baltimore Blues Society Show
courtesy of Bob F. ~ a loving blues fan
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Sounds Like
Sounds like Old School Blues.
"Sam is from the School torn down to build the Old School"
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IN THE BELOW PLAYLIST "CHILL OUT" IS AN EXCERPT FROM AN AUSTIN RADIO PROGRAM. THE DJ IDENTIFIES SAM AS FORMERLY OF "SAM AND DAVE". THAT IS INCORRECT - BUT THE MUSIC IS WONDERFUL. IT IS 1988 AND THIS IS A SET WITH SEVERAL SONGS - LIVE FROM ANTONES IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. BLUES JUST DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!
SO TURN UP THOSE SPEAKERS AND KICK OFF THOSE SHOES AND DANCE.
Sam Myers was born in Laurel, Mississippi on February 19, 1936. Visually impaired by cataracts from a young age, Sam was educated at the Piney Woods School near Jackson. While there, Sam developed an interest in music as a career. He became skilled enough at playing the trumpet and drums that he received a non-degree scholarship from the American Conservatory School of Music in Chicago. Sam spent his days in the classroom learning the academic side of music and his nights honing his blues chops in the rough nightclubs and streets of Chicago’s South Side.
Sam met and sat in with such blues luminaries as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Hound Dog Taylor, Robert Lockwood, Jr. and the great Elmore James, with whom Sam formed his first long-lasting musical relationship. Sam played drums with Elmore on a fairly steady basis from 1952 until his death in 1963. In 1956, Sam wrote and recorded what was to be his most famous single, “Sleeping In The Ground,” which has been covered by Eric Clapton, Robert Cray and many other blues artists.
From the early 1960’s until 1986, Sam worked the clubs in and around Jackson, Mississippi as well as across the South in the Chittlin’ Circuit. He even found himself touring the world with Sylvia Embrey and the Mississippi All-Stars Blues Band. Then in 1986, Sam met Anson Funderburgh and joined his band, The Rockets. Since that time, Sam and Anson have traveled all over the U.S. and the world, winning acclaim as one of the best live blues bands playing today.
Sam passed away while at home on July 17, 2006, following his release from the hospital after throat cancer surgery. He was making good progress with his recovery, and his death was totally unexpected. He was laid to rest next to his parents, Ollie and Celeste Myers, near Meridian, Mississippi.
Bio from www.sweetsammyers.com
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This is the school Sam Myers attended as a child. At the Piney Woods School near Jackson, MS, Sweet Sam first learned to play trumpet and later drums. Sam quickly developed an interest in music as a career. He became skilled enough at playing by ear that he received a non-degree scholarship from the American Conservatory School of Music in Chicago.
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This picture is from Joanna in Dallas. Joanna is a phenomenal lady who is the publisher for Southwest Blues. This is a highly respected blues publication that keeps all of us updated on the artists, clubs, festivals, etc. of the best music on earth. She has tirelessly and passionately devoted herself to this cause of informing people about the blues in this vast region for ten years now. Please check out her website @
http://www.southwestblues.com ~~~~~~~~ Thank you, Joanna ~ your persevering efforts are appreciated.
~~~~~~~~
Now, this picture of the Sam Myers Stone was taken on Farish St in Jackson, MS ~ with his girls!
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Farish Street - Jackson Mississippi
You should create your own MySpace Layouts like me by using nUCLEArcENTURy.COM's MySpace Profile Editor!
Hello , Thank you for your friendship and support, it's greatly appreciated! Your invited to come by and sign our new G.R.I.T.S. World Guest Book, it would be too cool to have you sign in! gigs. It is a rectangle under our calendar of events on the upper righthand side , it may take a few seconds of your time, and a second for our page to 'fresh', but it'll pop up and we'll appreciate it!. Upload a picture and say 'Hi!' Please come through anytime. Have a plum pleasing, fantastic day! p.s. Please subscribe to our video's at www. youtube. com/bluewendybear to get alerted when our new video's post! -The Sledge G.R.I.T.S. Band Keiko and Kariel, Mimi and Bo-pah Sledge!
Because I am on Spring Break this time every year, Sam used to say,"Well, Miss Marcy, is it time?" and I'd say "for what?" and he'd reply "To tell the mothers to lock up their sons, Miss Marcy's been set free from the knowledge house!" I miss you Sam. Dallas isn't the same without you.
A Friend Is Like A Four Leaf Clover: Hard To Find And Lucky To Have! Have A Great And Wonderful Week! And I Hope You Feel Good! A Big Hug For Your Friendship!
Oh Sam Know you'd love a big wet one from me for your birthday. I sure miss you, and today you'd have been 72! Gonna head up Jackson way soon to see your grave. Still loving you and Sure missing you! Always, Joanna
Just Wanted to Say Hi! Have A Great And Wonderful Week And I Hope You Feel Good! Thanks 4 Being A Blues Buddy! Many Hugs!!! --------------------------------- Colors Dont Hate,People Do! No Black,No White,Just The Blues!
Thanks Sam, for the personal history-lesson in Bodø, Norway about Elmore James and slideplayers. Great consert with Anson-1999 ? Great harp-player ! I've got a signed cd... : )
A house-rocking blues life from the Mississippi-born front man of Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets
Sam Myers: The Blues Is My Story recounts the life of bluesman Sam Myers (1936-2006), as told in his own words to author Jeff Horton. Myers grew up visually handicapped in the Jim Crow South and left home to attend the state school for the blind at Piney Woods. Myers’s intense desire to become a musician and a scholarship from the American Conservatory School of Music called him to Chicago. There in 1952 he joined Elmore James’s band as a drummer and was featured on some of James’s best-known recordings. Following the elder bluesman’s death in 1963, Myers fronted bands of his own and recorded many well-received singles and albums. In 1986, Myers became the W. C. Handy Award-winning front man, vocalist, and harmonica player for Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets.
Throughout the book, Myers provides a historical context to a bygone era of the blues and reveals his own thoughts and feelings about the musicians with whom he played. And they are a list of who’s who in the blues-Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Hound Dog Taylor, and Robert Lockwood Junior in addition to Elmore James. In one chapter Myers describes a personalized deeper meaning to the blues. And in another he relates a series of anecdotes about the lighter side of life on the road.
Contributions from Myers’s father and stories from a boyhood friend round out the narrative. Dallas musician Brian "Hash Brown" Calway dissects the more technical aspects of Myers’s harmonica style. Long-time friend and bandmate, Anson Funderburgh, weighs in with a chapter about their songwriting methods and offers some of his own recollections on their twenty years together.
An award-winning and prolific musician and singer Sam Myers wrote and recorded what was to be his most famous single, "Sleeping in the Ground," in 1956. He toured all over the U.S. and around the world with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets. Jeff Horton is a blues musician and journalist active in the Texas blues scene. His work has been published in Southwest Blues magazine.
You can buy the book on Amazon. While you’re there, be sure to check out the great user review from local musician Sonny Collie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam Myers and Ronda from Atlanta, GA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam & Pinetop Perkins - courtesy of Ronda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam & Robert Lockwood Jr. - courtesy of Ronda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This picture of Anson and Sam is from the Baltimore Blues Society Show
courtesy of Bob F. ~ a loving blues fan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the school Sam Myers attended as a child. At the Piney Woods School near Jackson, MS, Sweet Sam first learned to play trumpet and later drums. Sam quickly developed an interest in music as a career. He became skilled enough at playing by ear that he received a non-degree scholarship from the American Conservatory School of Music in Chicago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This picture is from Joanna in Dallas. Joanna is a phenomenal lady who is the publisher for Southwest Blues. This is a highly respected blues publication that keeps all of us updated on the artists, clubs, festivals, etc. of the best music on earth. She has tirelessly and passionately devoted herself to this cause of informing people about the blues in this vast region for ten years now. Please check out her website @
http://www.southwestblues.com ~~~~~~~~ Thank you, Joanna ~ your persevering efforts are appreciated.
~~~~~~~~
Now, this picture of the Sam Myers Stone was taken on Farish St in Jackson, MS ~ with his girls!
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Farish Street - Jackson Mississippi
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