It was on March 18, 1971
that I first met Bobo Jenkins, at his invitation, to come down to his Big Star
Recording Studio on Joy Road in Detroit. I interviewed him that day and began a
friendship that lasted for many years. We did some travelling together and
promoted some very unique concerts. I am very proud to have known Bobo and hope
I can tell his story the way he told it to me.
John Pickens Jenkins was
born on January 7, 1916 in Forkland, Alabama, a town consisting of just two
stores. Bobo stated, “You couldn’t buy anything in the day because the stores
were closed.” Bobo continues, “The man had to come out of the fields to
open the store.”
Before coming to Detroit on
September 1, 1944, Bobo spent sometime in the Army. After his discharge, he
decided he didn’t want to live in the South anymore. It was either Detroit or
Chicago, so he picked the Motor City. Shortly after his arrival, he found a job
at the Packard Motor Car Company, for eighty-nine cents an hour. He worked there
for four years, before they went out of business. He was also managing a garage,
as he was an accomplished mechanic. Soon, he began working at Briggs
Manufacturing Company, which eventually sold out to the Chrysler Corporation,
where Bobo worked for the next twenty-six years.
Life was getting very
hectic, as Bobo would work on cars; come home to eat and wash up, and go back to
work at the factory. He also got a job taking pictures at the Harlem Inn, where
John Lee Hooker was playing. “I was goin’ with a girl named ‘Little’ Miss
Thomas, and one night I was developing some pictures and I come out and this
guitar player named Percy, stole my girl and left.” Bobo continues, “John
Lee told me to get his guitar and go to playin’ it.” He didn’t take it but
the next morning he went down to Wellington Street and bought himself a guitar.
The guy at the pawn shop
told him to tune it so he could hear him play. “I told him no, that’s all
right.” Bobo continuesthe story, “I’ll just go home, because you see, I
couldn’t even tune it. So, this fella, Albert Witherspoon, tuned it for me and
started me off to playin’ it.” By now, his voice had developed into a
strong, powerful instrument, and life had given him much to sing about.
John Lee Hooker on Hastings
Street. The USS badge was sent to David Meikle by an anonymous donor
He wrote his first song -
“Democrat Blues,” on election day of 1952, while Eisenhower was being
elected. Bobo explained that it was really a song about the Great Depression,
and the especially hard economic times that plagued the poor during Republican
administrations. “I was workin’ out to Chrysler - it
was Briggs then - and I sat down at the end of the line and wrote that song.”
Bobo said he got his rhythms
from the machines on the assembly line. “The whirrin’
of the machines gives me the beat. It’s like listening to a band play all day.
Every song I ever wrote that’s any good, came to me on the assembly line.”
In 1954, with the help from
John Lee Hooker, Bobo decided to go to Chess Records in Chicago, with his new
song. “So I go to Chicago with my guitar and a little amplifier, and the man
says, ‘What you got now? Usually everybody comes from Mississippi and brings a
hit with them.’ I said, well, I’m from Mississippi. See, I was lyin’ ‘cause I
was livin’ in Detroit, but it sound good to hear it.”
He gave Bobo $25 to find a
place to stay that night. “He figured I didn’t have anywhere to stay, the way
I went in there. You see, I went in just like I was really down on the ground -
you know what I mean?” He recorded “Democrat Blues” (Chess 1565) and
for the flip side he recorded “Bad Luck & Trouble,” which he made up in
the studio. Backing Bobo, who did the vocals and guitar, was Robert Richard on
harmonica; Albert Witherspoon on guitar, and Harry Fleming on drums.
Bobo said he never received a penny in royalties. He did record
two songs for the Boxer label in Chicago and a few for Fortune Records in
Detroit; he vowed that one day he would have his own recording studio, and in
time, he did.
Bobo was now living at 449
Hendrick, in the area then known as Black Bottom. He declared the house
open, and on weekend nights the house was filled with musicians playing
the blues all night and sometimes well into the next day. Sonny Boy Williamson
(Rice Miller), the great harp player, who was now staying in Detroit, and
playing with Baby Boy Warren’s band, would show up at his house after a gig.
In 1959, Bobo began working on
his long-time dream - a recording studio. His first studio was built in a
basement under his record shop at 5901 Fourteenth He called it his “paste board
studio”. It was located near a supermarket and everyday when the stockboy would
throw the empty cartons out, Bobo was there. “I had to go out and hustle
cardboard boxes to make this studio.” Bobo continues, “People used to think I
was a junk man carrying all those boxes under my arm.” He had a little Webco
tape recorder with one track. He was determined to fulfill his dream. “I’m not
goin’ to give up. There’s only one thing that is gonna stop me and that is
sickness or death.” He looks me straight in the eye and continues, “If I have to
go and eat me a can of soup today, tomorrow I might be able to eat steak.” He
laughed and said, “Yea, that’s right.”
Bobo knew what he wanted, “I
just need a four-track cause that’s all I need for blues - too many pieces don’t
make it sound like the blues - just drums, couple of guitars and organ. See, I
know the blues artists here, white and black. If I could just get enough for
pressing and distribution, I can make it.”
Three
addresses used by BoBo during his years at Big Star (material Carl Pellegrino/BJL/Graham
Finch)
He called his studio and record
label, Big Star Records, with the first release by him and his band; “You Will
Never Understand It” and Tell Me Where You Stayed Last Night” (001), c. 1964.
Bobo continues the story, “These guys are in need for
someone to record them who is going to give them what they got comin’, but the
way some record companies do, they discourage artists by stealing their money
that comes in and swear they didn’t make nothin’. The artist is left with nothin’.
They never calls ‘em in and gives them a count.”
Bobo blames Motown Records for the decline of recording
blues artists in Detroit. “There are a lot of little record companies here in
Detroit, but there is only one big one that is controlling Detroit, and if you
don’t sound the way they want it, then no go. They don’t want any blues.”
The first group he recorded was the Walton Brothers,
featuring ten year old, Clarence Walton on the song, The Cat” and on side two,
“Midnight” (BS002). He then recorded their father, harmonica player, ‘Little
Daddy’ James Walton, who came to Detroit in 1945. Backed by his sons, the record
was called “Come on Tell Me What You Got” and the flip side called “Shady Grove”
(BS-001). M He finally developed a real studio with eight tracks, at
4228 Joy Road. He recorded and promoted such artists as Little Junior Cannady,
Chubby Martin, Chuck Cole, Big Roger Jenkins, and even put out a 45 by the
legendary Robert Junior Lockwood.
4228 Joy Road is now a vacant
lot behind the label scans. The building to the left is #4232 (image David
Meikle)
For the next few years, I was a frequent visitor to his
Big Star Recording Studio, On that first trip, I got the interview, and was
fortunate to meet Baby Boy Warren, Little Daddy Walton, ‘Rabbit’ Johnson, and
many other friends and hanger-ons. What a drunken day that was! Just let me say
that the place was jumpin’.
James
Walton, BoBo Jenkins and Fred Reif, Joy Road Studios 1971
This was ‘blues central’ in Detroit. Let me see if I
could describe the place: To the left, as you walk in, was the control room,
where Bobo held court as the engineer, producer, and host. There were wires
everywhere, connected to God knows what; chairs with no backs; shelves of master
tapes that Bobo had recorded; ashtrays overflowing; Stroh’s beer cans
everywhere. Down the hall was the studio with scraps of dirty carpet tacked to
the walls to deaden the sound. Paint peelings hung suspended from the ceiling;
cigarette butts everywhere; whiskey bottles and beer cans scattered all over the
floor; but the place was always happenin’.
The year 1972, was also the year Bobo put out his first
album on Big Star, called “The Life of Bobo Jenkins.” The main cut on the album
was “24 Years (On the Wrong Road).” It was a song he wrote about working in the
factories. “I was sittin’ ‘round one day thinkin’ how if I’d known then what I
know now. I never would’ve walked in the door of a factory. I can’t stand
workin’ in those places. They hire bosses who can’t see past their noses.“ Bobo
was going to retire on his birthday on January 7, 1975.
I was down in the studio for most of the sessions. I
also wrote the liner notes, which stated on the front cover - Read Back for My
All New Life Story. Bobo had his ways about recording, and said he was taught by
a guy at RCA. Musicians would come and go, saying they would be right-back and
then never show up. I really don’t know how the project ever got finished.
Bobo thought he was inventing something new in recording and
the final outcome was; the band coming out on one side of the speaker and Bobo
and his guitar on the other. To this day, I still can’t believe the way he mixed
the final songs, but Bobo was the boss, engineer (yes, engineer!), and the
producer. He would set the dials on his Teak tape machine, and then run back
into the studio and record with the band. Bobo didn’t want anyone to touch his
equipment, so he did everything himself. One of the cuts on the record has a
phone ringing in the background.
The album became known as the ‘Red’ album, with an old
photo of a much younger Bobo, inside a big star. I helped him promote and sell
the album, although we didn’t have any distribution. I sent a copy to Blues
Unlimited in England, the leading blues magazine at the time. They gave it a
good review and because of that, we sold them all over the world.
We went to the NAIRD (National Association of
Independent Record Distributors) convention in Charlotte, NC, and did an
impromptu duet at the cocktail party, with Bobo on guitar and vocals, and myself
on the washboard. We picked up one distributor.
Baby Boy Warren and Bo Bo
Jenkins
The following year, we went to the convention in Denver, Colorado. We once
again drove in his big Cadillac, with his right-hand man L.B., as the driver. I
also took a female friend with me. As we were driving out there from Detroit, I
remember in southern Indiana, we stopped at a truck stop to get gas and to use
the bathroom. My friend and I got out and found the bathrooms, while Bobo and
L.B. were taking care of the gas. When we were coming back, Bobo said he had
asked the gas station attendant where the bathroom was, and he said they didn’t
have one. I couldn’t believe it. I just came from there. The guy was a damn
bigot, a racist. I was so pissed, I told Bobo we have to do something, but he
just said to get back into the car and leave. I was fuming, and I wanted to bomb
the place. I had never witnessed such racial behavior.
We once again played at the cocktail party, but this
time, didn’t pick up any new distributors. We continued to make the sales
through Blues Unlimited, with an ad I had put in one issue. In the winter of
1972, there was a break-in at the Big Star studio and all of his equipment was
stolen, and no insurance. But, with the success of the ‘red’ album, Bobo was
able to purchase all new equipment.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan blues group that backed him at
the 1973 Special Detroit Show, at the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, was
asked to be the back-up musicians on his next album - the ‘green’ one, which had
the same cover as the previous ‘red’, and was called “Here I Am a Fool in Love
Again.” He says the name for this song came from being mistreated by one of
those young girls. Another song on the album was “Sharecropper Blues,” comparing
the old sharecropping days back in Alabama and Mississippi, with the new
sharecropping days in the auto plants, where after all the deductions you only
get one-half of your money to take home. Also included was his 1974 Big Star 45
political song “Watergate Blues.” He also included two songs “Baby Don’t You
Want to Go” and “Ten Below Zero,” which were recorded in 1956, and included Bobo
on vocals and guitar; ‘Rabbit’ Johnson on 2nd guitar; Robert Richard, harmonica,
and Ted Walker, drums.
The Ann Arbor group consisted of John Nicholas, guitar;
Steve Nardella, harp, Sarah Brown, bass, and Fran Christina, drums. Nardella,
remembers; “We arrived early at the studio and Bobo was not in sight. There were
all these street people hanging out in front of the studio, and soon we saw this
Cadillac pull up to the curve about half-a-block down the street. Getting out of
the car was a big man with greasy slick-back hair and his toes curdled upward at
the end of his shoes which were cut off at the front. After putting some money
into the meter, he walked over to us and made a comment about us being early.”
Bobo’s trusty watch dog ‘Pimp’ was barking on the
inside of the studio and after unlocking the many locks to the entrance, the
band entered Bobo’s lifelong dream, which he was so proud of. Nardella said,
“Bobo would turn on the tape recorder and then run back to the studio, strap on
his guitar and started the song off.” At the end of the day, each musician
received a check for fifty dollars.
Bobo still had no real distribution and the ‘green’
album didn’t sell very well. He was now using the slogan, “Thank you for helping
me keep the blues alive,” and got a show on Detroit’s WDET radio station, at the
2am to 4am slot on Saturday night (or actually, Sunday morning). Thus, the Blues
After Hours show was born.
By 1977, Bobo released the ‘yellow’ album called Detroit All
Purpose Blues by Bobo Jenkins, which featured Bobo, Willie D. Warren, who
earlier had played with Freddy King and Otis Rush, in Chicago in the 1950’s;
Buddy Folks, a guitar and harmonica player; Canadian, ‘Blind Child’ Gerry
Gaughan; and featuring the Big Star Band. This album still didn’t have any
distribution, died, and went to record heaven.
In 1982 Bobo went to Europe for the American Living
Blues Festival tour, but due to poor health he returned home after the first
concert. A long illness ultimately led to his death on August 14, 1984, at the
age of 69.
Bobo was quite a character, but more than anyone else
at the time, single-handedly breathed life into Detroit’s often-overlooked blues
scene.
Fred Reif
© June, 2001
BIG STAR DISCOGRAPHY
001 You Will Never Understand It/Tell Me Where You Stayed Last
Night - Bobo Jenkins
002 The Cat/( Clarence Walton & Walton Brothers Band}/Midnight -
Walton Brothers Band
003 Tell Me What You Got/Shade Grove - James Walton
004 Ha, Baby/My Bonney - Chuck Cole
005
006 Don’t Turn Your Love On/I’ve Got My Eyes On You - Little
Junior Canna (Cannady)
007 Before I Leave You/These Precious Tears - Syl Foreman
012 Space Traveling, Part 1/Part 2 - Robert Starks and the
Geniuses
020 Selfish Ways/Down Home Cookin’ - Robert Jr. Lockwood
021 You Can’t Stop Me From Loving You (Part 1)/Part 2 - Bob Evans
Jr
024 Shake ‘Em Down - Bobo Jenkins/(see 033) Note: 024 and 033
were on the same 45rpm record
033 WaterGate Blues - Bobo Jenkins/(see 024)
034 Don’t Give A Damn/Off Beat - King Cain & Silvertone Band
038 Ghetto Boogie/Hard Times - Ellen Jackson & Big Star Band
? My Woman So Fine/Talk Is Cheap - Big Roger Thomas
? Jungo Itch/? - Mississippi Johnnie Norwood
Albums
BS 008-019 - The Life Of Bobo Jenkins
BS 011-33 - Here I Am A Fool In Love Again - Bobo Jenkins
BS 1-50 - Detroit All Purpose Blues by Bobo Jenkins, including
Steel Wheels (Willie D Warren), Blind Child (Gerry Gaughan),
Buddy Folks, and the Big Star Band
The Big Star numbering system is really strange, as 008 - 019 are
numbered on the album, “The Life of Bobo Jenkins”, and 022 -032 are on the
album, “Here I Am A Fool In Love Again”.
“The Life of Bobo Jenkins” and “Here I Am A Fool In Love Again”
were re-issued on P-Vine5640 (Japan). The “Detroit All Purpose Blues” and a
number of the 45s were re-issued on P-Vine 5641 (Japan).
Text and discography
courtesy Fred Reif
Photographs courtesy
Fred Reif except where stated
Label scans courtesy
Fred Reif except where stated
Acknowledgements Ace Records
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