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'''Tommy McClennan''' ([[April 8]], [[1908]] - [[1962]]?) was a [[Delta blues]] singer and guitarist.
'''Tommy McClennan''' ([[April 8]] [[1908]]<ref name="amg"/> - [[1962]]?) was a [[delta blues]] [[singer]] and [[guitarist]].


==Life and career==
He was born on a farm near [[Yazoo City, Mississippi]] and grew up in the town. He played and sang blues in a rough, energetic style.
McClennan was born on a farm near [[Yazoo City, Mississippi|Yazoo City]], [[Mississippi]] and grew up in the town. He played and sang blues in a rough, energetic style.


He made a series of recordings for [[Bluebird Records]] from [[1939]] through [[1942]] and regularly played with his friend [[Robert Petway]].
He made a series of [[sound recording and reproduction|recordings]] for [[Bluebird Records]] from 1939 through 1942 and regularly played with his friend [[Robert Petway]]. He can be heard shouting in the background on Petway's 1942 recording "Boogie Woogie Woman".<ref name="russell"/>


McClennan made an immediate impact in 1940 with his recordings of "Shake 'Em On Down", "Bottle It Up and Go", "Whiskey Head Woman" and "New Highway No.51".<ref name="russell">{{cite book
Tommy McClennan is reported to have died in poverty in [[Chicago, Illinois]] in or about 1962.
| first= Tony
| last= Russell
| year= 1997
| title= The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray
| edition=
| publisher= Carlton Books Limited
| location= Dubai
| pages= p. 139
| id= ISBN 1-85868-255-X}}</ref>


He left a powerful legacy that included "Bottle It Up and Go," "Cross Cut Saw Blues" ([[cover version|covered]] by [[Albert King]]), "Deep Blue Sea Blues" (aka "Catfish Blues"), and others whose lasting power has been evidenced through the repertoires and re-recordings of other [[musician|artists]].<ref name="amg">[http://wc04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=TOMMY|MCCLENNAN&sql=11:0ifrxq95ld0e~T1 All Music Guide biography - accessed January 2008]</ref>
== External links ==
* [http://www.yazoo.org/Notables/McClenna.htm Tommy McClennan on yazoo.org] - with photograph of McClennan
* [http://www.cascadeblues.org/History/TommyMcClennan.htm article on cascadeblues.com]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?p=amg&sql=B447 listing on allmusic.com]
* [http://www.wirz.de/music/mcclenna.htm Illustrated Tommy McClennan discography]


Although nothing is known of what happened to Petway, McClennan was occasionally seen in Chicago with [[Elmore James]] and [[Little Walter]], two other [[musician|artists]] who came from the Delta. McClennan is reported to have died from [[alcoholism]] in poverty in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], in 1962.<ref>[http://www.cibs.org/legends/delta5.htm Central Iowa Blues Society website - accessed January 2008]</ref>

==Citation==
''"He had a different style of playing a guitar"'' [[Big Bill Broonzy]] remarked drily. ''"You just make the chords and change when you feel like changing"''<ref name="russell"/>

==See also==
*[[List of Delta blues musicians]]
*[[List of people from Mississippi]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.yazoo.org/Notables/McClenna.htm Tommy McClennan on yazoo.org - with photograph of McClennan]
* [http://www.cascadeblues.org/History/TommyMcClennan.htm Article on cascadeblues.com]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?p=amg&sql=B447 Listing on allmusic.com]
* [http://www.wirz.de/music/mcclenna.htm Illustrated Tommy McClennan discography]


{{DEFAULTSORT:McClennan, Tommy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McClennan, Tommy}}
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[[Category:Blues musicians from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Blues musicians from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Blues guitarists]]
[[Category:Blues guitarists]]
[[Category:People from Chicago]]
[[Category:People from Yazoo City, Mississippi]]
[[Category:People from Yazoo City, Mississippi]]
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1908 births]]

Revision as of 21:29, 13 January 2008

Tommy McClennan (April 8 1908[1] - 1962?) was a delta blues singer and guitarist.

Life and career

McClennan was born on a farm near Yazoo City, Mississippi and grew up in the town. He played and sang blues in a rough, energetic style.

He made a series of recordings for Bluebird Records from 1939 through 1942 and regularly played with his friend Robert Petway. He can be heard shouting in the background on Petway's 1942 recording "Boogie Woogie Woman".[2]

McClennan made an immediate impact in 1940 with his recordings of "Shake 'Em On Down", "Bottle It Up and Go", "Whiskey Head Woman" and "New Highway No.51".[2]

He left a powerful legacy that included "Bottle It Up and Go," "Cross Cut Saw Blues" (covered by Albert King), "Deep Blue Sea Blues" (aka "Catfish Blues"), and others whose lasting power has been evidenced through the repertoires and re-recordings of other artists.[1]

Although nothing is known of what happened to Petway, McClennan was occasionally seen in Chicago with Elmore James and Little Walter, two other artists who came from the Delta. McClennan is reported to have died from alcoholism in poverty in Chicago, Illinois, in 1962.[3]

Citation

"He had a different style of playing a guitar" Big Bill Broonzy remarked drily. "You just make the chords and change when you feel like changing"[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b All Music Guide biography - accessed January 2008
  2. ^ a b c Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. pp. p. 139. ISBN 1-85868-255-X. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  3. ^ Central Iowa Blues Society website - accessed January 2008