Joseph Amos Milburn (April 1, 1927 – January 3, 1980) was an American singer and pianist who played rhythm and blues music. He was popular during the 1940s and 1950s. One commentator said, "Milburn was known for upbeat songs about drinking and having fun, filled with humor, clever wordplay, and simple, everyday images in his lyrics."

Life and career

Amos Milburn was born in Houston, Texas, and was one of 13 children. By the age of five, he could play songs on the piano. At 15, he joined the United States Navy. After leaving the Navy, he returned to Houston and formed a 16-member band that played in local clubs. A man named William Church and his wife, Geneva Church, managed Milburn’s career.

Milburn was a skilled pianist and performer. In 1946, a woman helped him record music for Aladdin Records in Los Angeles. He worked with Aladdin Records for eight years and recorded more than 75 songs. One of his songs, "Down the Road a Piece" (1946), was a blues song with a style similar to rock music. However, his recordings were not popular until 1949, when seven of his songs gained attention from R&B audiences. Two of his songs, "Hold Me Baby" and "Chicken Shack Boogie," reached numbers eight and nine on Billboard’s list of top R&B songs in 1949.

Milburn became a key figure in the Central Avenue music scene in Los Angeles. He was also a well-known touring artist. He won awards from Down Beat magazine (Best Blues and Jazz Star) and Billboard magazine (Top R&B Artist). One of his most famous songs was "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer." In 1950, his recording of "Bad, Bad Whiskey," originally written by Maxwell Davis, reached the top of the R&B record chart. This was the first of several drinking songs he recorded. None of these songs were written by Milburn, but some were composed by Rudy Toombs. There is no evidence that Milburn had problems with alcohol.

Through 1952, Milburn recorded more drinking songs, including "Thinking and Drinking" and "Trouble in Mind." By this time, he was touring the country and playing in clubs. That summer, he announced he would stop performing with his band and continue as a solo artist. In the fall, he joined Charles Brown on a concert tour in the South. For the next few years, his tours consisted of short performances in different cities. After three years of performing alone, Milburn returned to Houston in 1956 and re-formed his band. His recordings for Aladdin Records in 1957 did not sell well. Aladdin Records, which had its own financial issues, ended Milburn’s contract. He later tried to regain success with recordings for Ace Records, but his popularity had declined. Radio stations focused more on music preferred by teenagers.

Milburn contributed two songs to the R&B holiday music collection: "Let’s Make Christmas Merry, Baby" (1949, recorded for Aladdin Records) and "Christmas (Comes but Once a Year)" (1960, recorded for King Records). The second song was the B-side of Charles Brown’s holiday classic "Please Come Home for Christmas."

Milburn’s final recording was for an album by Johnny Otis in 1977. At that time, Milburn had been affected by a stroke. Otis played the piano parts for his weakened friend. Milburn suffered a second stroke, which caused health problems leading to the amputation of a leg. He died shortly after from a third stroke at the age of 52. He was buried as Amos Milburn Jr. at Houston National Cemetery on January 7, 1980.

Another person named Amos Milburn Jr. performed and recorded in Texas during the 1960s. This person was unrelated to the musician and was named James Thomas Russ Jr.

Legacy

After World War II, Milburn became a significant blues musician. He was among the first musicians to change from more complex jazz music to the louder jump blues style. He focused more on rhythm and the skills of singing and playing instruments. Milburn had commercial success for 11 years and inspired many other musicians. His lively songs about feeling "high" were appreciated by fellow musicians, including Little Willie Littlefield, Floyd Dixon, and Milburn's main student, Fats Domino. Fats Domino often said Milburn influenced his music.

Discography

• "After Midnite", 1946
• "Amos Blues", 1946
• "Down the Road a Piece", 1947
• "Chicken Shack Boogie", 1948
• "Bewildered", 1948
• "A and M Blues", 1948
• "Hold Me Baby", 1949
• "In the Middle of the Night", 1949
• "Roomin' House Boogie", 1949
• "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby", 1949
• "Sax Shack Boogie", 1950
• "Bad, Bad Whiskey", 1950
• "Let's Rock A While", 1951
• "Trouble in Mind", 1952
• "Thinking and Drinking", 1952 (written by Rudy Toombs)
• "Let Me Go Home, Whiskey", 1953 (written by Shifty Henry)
• "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer", 1953 (written by Rudy Toombs)
• "Good, Good Whiskey", 1953
• "Let's Have a Party", 1953
• "Vicious, Vicious Vodka", 1954

• Rockin' the Boogie, 1952, Aladdin Records (10-inch LP)
• Let's Have a Party, 1957, Score Records
• Million Sellers, 1962, Imperial Records
• The Return of the Blues Boss, 1963, Motown Records
• Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies, Volume 10: Amos Milburn, 1977, Blues Spectrum

• The Best of Amos Milburn: Down the Road Apiece, CD, 1993, EMI America Records
• The Complete Aladdin Recordings of Amos Milburn, 7-CD box set, 1994, Mosaic Records
• Blues, Barrelhouse & Boogie Woogie: The Best of Amos Milburn 1946-1955, 3-CD box set, 1996, Capitol Records
• The Best of Amos Milburn, CD, 2001, EMI-Capitol Special Markets
• The Original Blues Sound of Charles Brown & Amos Milburn, with Jackie Shane, and Bob Marshall & the Crystals, LP, 1965, (Pickwick/Grand Prix Series, Pickwick International)