Mathis James Reed was born on September 6, 1925, and died on August 29, 1976. He was an American blues musician and songwriter. His unique style of electric blues was enjoyed by many people. Reed's songs, such as "Honest I Do" (1957), "Baby What You Want Me to Do" (1960), "Big Boss Man" (1961), and "Bright Lights, Big City" (1961), appeared on Billboard magazine's R&B and Hot 100 singles charts.

Reed inspired many famous musicians, including Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr., Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and the Rolling Stones, who recorded his songs. Music critic Cub Koda called him "one of the most important blues musicians ever" because his style was easy to understand.

Biography

Reed was born in Dunleith, Mississippi. He learned to play the harmonica and guitar from his friend Eddie Taylor. After several years of playing music on the street for tips, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1943. He was then asked to join the U.S. Navy and served in World War II. He was let go from the military in 1945 and returned briefly to Mississippi, where he married his girlfriend, Mary (later called Mama Reed). Mama Reed sang in the background on many of his recordings, including the songs "Baby What You Want Me to Do," "Big Boss Man," and "Bright Lights, Big City." He then moved to Gary, Indiana, to work at an Armour meat-packing plant.

"At his best—on Vee-Jay in the '50s—Reed sang with the calm confidence of a man who never ran for the bus because he wanted to spend the fare on a glass of wine, and the relaxed rhythms of the Vee-Jay band played along with him."

By the 1950s, Reed had become a well-known musician. He joined the Gary Kings with John Brim and played on the street with Willie Joe Duncan. Reed did not get a recording contract with Chess Records, but he signed with Vee-Jay Records through Brim's drummer, Albert King. At Vee-Jay, Reed began playing again with Eddie Taylor and soon released "You Don't Have to Go," his first hit record. This was followed by many other popular songs.

Reed kept his reputation despite his heavy drinking; his wife sometimes helped him remember the lyrics to his songs during recordings. In 1957, Reed developed epilepsy, though doctors did not correctly diagnose it for a long time, as Reed and others thought it was delirium tremens. When Vee-Jay Records closed, his manager signed a contract with the new ABC-Bluesway label, but Reed did not create another hit. In 1968, he toured Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival.

Reed died from respiratory failure in 1976 in Oakland, California, eight days before his 51st birthday. He is buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois. Reed was honored with a posthumous induction into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

Influence

The Rolling Stones mentioned Jimmy Reed as a major influence on their music. Their early performances included songs by Reed, such as "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby," "The Sun Is Shining" (played at the 1969 Altamont concert), "Bright Lights, Big City," and "Shame, Shame, Shame." The B-side of their 1964 UK single "Not Fade Away" was a song called "Little by Little," which sounded similar to Reed's "Shame, Shame, Shame." The song "Honest I Do" appeared on their 1964 album The Rolling Stones (with the subtitle England's Newest Hit Makers in America). The U.S. version of the album also included "Little by Little." In 2016, they released a version of Reed's "Little Rain" on their album Blue & Lonesome.

The Yardbirds recorded "I Ain't Got You" as a B-side for their 1964 single "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," with guitarist Eric Clapton. Later, with Jeff Beck, they played an instrumental song called "Like Jimmy Reed Again," which was included on a re-released version of their album Having a Rave Up. The Animals were inspired by Reed and recorded "I Ain't Got You" and "Bright Lights, Big City." Van Morrison's group, Them, covered "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Baby, What You Want Me to Do," both found on the album The Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison. The Grateful Dead often performed "Big Boss Man," sung by Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, during the 1960s and early 1970s. This song appears on their live album Grateful Dead.

Elvis Presley recorded several of Reed's songs. He had a hit with "Big Boss Man" in 1967 and performed "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" on his 1968 TV show. (Note: Elvis's 1964 hit "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" is a different song from Reed's version.) "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" was also covered by Wishbone Ash on their 1973 album Live Dates and by Johnny and Edgar Winter on their 1975 album Together. Omar Kent Dykes and Jimmie Vaughan released an album called On the Jimmy Reed Highway as a tribute to Reed. Bill Cosby sang four of Reed's songs—Bright Lights, Big City, Big Boss Man, Hush Hush, and Aw Shucks, Hush Your Mouth—on his 1967 album Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings.

The Steve Miller Band covered five songs by Reed: "You're So Fine" (originally titled "Honey, Where You Going?" by Reed), which appeared on their 1968 album Sailor; and "I Wanna Be Loved (But by Only You)," "Big Boss Man," "Caress Me Baby," and "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby," which were on their 1986 album Living in the 20th Century.

Bob Dylan honored Reed with a song called "Goodbye Jimmy Reed," which was included on his 2020 album Rough and Rowdy Ways.