Frank "Son" Seals (August 14, 1942 – December 20, 2004) was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. In 2009, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Career
Seals was born in Osceola, Arkansas, where his father, Jim "Son" Seals, owned a small music club called the Dipsy Doodle Club. He started performing professionally at age 13, first as a drummer with Robert Nighthawk and later as a guitarist. At 16, he began playing at the T-99, a local top club, with his brother-in-law Walter "Little Walter" Jefferson. He performed there with well-known blues musicians, including Albert King, Rufus Thomas, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, and Rosco Gordon. Their different styles helped Seals develop his own playing techniques. While playing at the T-99, he also learned about country-western music from Jimmy Grubbs, who sometimes asked Seals to play drums or guitar with his group. At age 19, Seals formed his own band, Son Seals and the Upsetters, to perform at the Rebel Club in Osceola. The band members included Johnny Moore ("Old Man Horse") on piano; Alvin Goodberry on drums, guitar, bass, or piano; Little Bob Robinson on vocals; and Walter Lee "Skinny Dynamo" Harris on piano. Soon after, a man from Little Rock, Arkansas, came to find "Little Walter" for a gig at his club, but when Walter refused, the offer went to Seals.
In 1971, Seals moved to Chicago. His career grew after Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records discovered him at the Flamingo Club on Chicago's South Side. His first album, The Son Seals Blues Band, was released in 1973. It included songs like "Your Love Is Like a Cancer" and "Hot Sauce." Later albums included Midnight Son (1976) and Live and Burning (1978). Over the next two decades, Seals released several albums, most on Alligator Records, such as Chicago Fire (1980), Bad Axe (1984), Living in the Danger Zone (1991), Nothing but the Truth (1994), and Live: Spontaneous Combustion (1996). He won W.C. Handy Awards in 1985, 1987, and 2001.
Andrew Vachss, a friend of Seals, helped promote his music. Vachss included Seals in his novels and co-wrote songs with him for the album Lettin' Go, released in 2000. Vachss dedicated his novel Mask Market to Seals's memory.
In 2002, Seals performed on the Bo Diddley tribute album Hey Bo Diddley – A Tribute!, singing the song "My Story" (also known as "Story of Bo Diddley").
Seals had a difficult life. He survived all but one of his fourteen siblings. In 1997, he was shot in the jaw by his wife, which required surgery to fix his jaw. In 1999, part of his left leg was amputated due to diabetes complications. He lost belongings in a fire that destroyed his home while he was performing, and several of his valuable guitars were stolen. After his health worsened, Seals toured with different bands, including those led by James Soleberg, Jimmy Vivino, and Big Jim Kohler.
The band Phish performed Seals's song "Funky Bitch" and invited him to join them on stage several times. In 1999, Seals performed at Camp Oswego, the only Phish summer festival that included artists other than the band itself.
Seals died in 2004 at age 62 from diabetes complications.
In 2009, Seals was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in the "Performer" category.