Lowell Fulson was born on March 31, 1921, and died on March 7, 1999. He was an American blues guitarist and songwriter who played in the West Coast blues tradition. Because of a contract, he sometimes recorded music under the names Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most important person in West Coast blues during the 1940s and 1950s.

Early life

Fulson was born on a Choctaw reservation in Atoka, Oklahoma, to Mamie and Martin Fulson. He said he was of Cherokee ancestry through his father and also claimed Choctaw ancestry. His father was killed when Lowell was a child. A few years later, he moved with his mother and brothers to live in Clarita. He attended school in Coalgate.

Career

At the age of eighteen, he moved to Ada, Oklahoma, and joined Alger "Texas" Alexander for a few months in 1940. Later, he moved to California, where he formed a band that soon included a young Ray Charles and the tenor saxophone player Stanley Turrentine. He was drafted into the U.S. Navy in 1943 and served until 1945.

He recorded for Swing Time Records in the 1940s, Chess Records (on the Checker label) in the 1950s, Kent Records in the 1960s, and Rounder Records (on the Bullseye Blues label) in the 1980s and 1990s. He wrote "3 O'Clock Blues" (B.B. King's first hit), "Reconsider Baby" (a blues standard), and "Tramp" (co-written with Jimmy McCracklin and recorded by several artists). His 1965 song "Black Nights" was his first hit in a decade, and "Tramp" became even more popular, helping him regain his R&B fame. In 1966, his brother Robert Fulson married Margie Hendrix, a former member of The Raelettes. They both began performing live with Lowell before they divorced in 1968.

A show called California Blues: Swingtime Tribute opened in 1993 at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California. Fulson performed with Johnny Otis, Charles Brown, Jay McShann, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy McCracklin, and Earl Brown. His last recording was a duet of "Every Day I Have the Blues" with Jimmy Rogers on the latter's 1999 Atlantic Records release, named Jimmy Rogers All-Stars: Blues Blues Blues.

Death

Fulson passed away in Long Beach, California, on March 7, 1999, at the age of 77. His companion, Tina Mayfield, stated that the causes of death were due to complications from kidney disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. He was the father of four children and the grandfather of thirteen grandchildren. Fulson was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

Awards and recognition

• 1993: Was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame
• 1993: Was honored for the song "Reconsider Baby" in the Classics of Blues Recording – Singles or Album Tracks category
• 1993: Received the Blues Foundation Blues Music Award for Traditional Album of the Year for the album Hold On
• 1993: Was given the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation
• 1995: Was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year for the album Them Update Blues
• 1995: Had the song "Reconsider Baby" listed in the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• 2010: Was honored in the Classics of Blues Recording – Albums category for the album Hung Down Head