J.J. Malone is a true blues original. He's quite clear about which musicians most inspired him - Muddy Waters being his all-time favorite - but he doesn't sound like any of 'em - not as a singer, nor as guitarist or piano player. He cites Waters, John Lee Hooker, Doctor Clayton, and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup as early influences on his singing, with Louis Jordan and B.B. ...show more

J.J. Malone is a true blues original. He's quite clear about which musicians most inspired him - Muddy Waters being his all-time favorite - but he doesn't sound like any of 'em - not as a singer, nor as guitarist or piano player. He cites Waters, John Lee Hooker, Doctor Clayton, and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup as early influences on his singing, with Louis Jordan and B.B.

King coming into the picture slightly later. The Decatur, Alabama-born, Fairfax, California-based bluesman doesn't copy anyone - not even himself. Unlike many blues artists who rely on set patterns, Malone is constantly pushing the envelope, playing whatever pops into his head at the moment. Source: http://www.bluesexpress.com/?page_id=20 20 August 1935, Pete's Corner, Alabama, USA.

Malone was playing guitar and harmonica before his thirteenth birthday, and he began performing at dances and parties when he was 17. In the mid-50s he spent a year in the Air Force and then formed his first band, the Rockers, later called Tops In Blues. Once out of the armed services in 1957, he formed the Rhythm Rockers in Spokane, Washington, and they worked all over the west coast. In 1966, he settled in Oakland, California, and recorded for the Galaxy label, enjoying a hit with 'It's A Shame' in 1972; he subsequently had records issued by the Red Lightnin', Cherrie, Paris Album and Eli Mile High labels. ...show less