Little Joe Blue
Little Joe Blue (September 23, 1934 — April 22, 1990[1]) was an American blues singer and guitarist.
Career
Born Joseph Valery, Jr. in Vicksburg, Mississippi, his musical style is often compared to B. B. King.[1]
Living in Detroit, Michigan, he formed the band the Midnighters in the late 1950s. He moved to Los Angeles, California, where he cut some records for Kent and Checker Records in the 1960s. His 1966 song "Dirty Work Is Going On" is now a popular part of the blues repertoire. He recorded for various labels throughout the 1980s.[1] He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1974, travelled to Europe in 1982, and appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1986.[2]
Little Joe Blue's Greatest Hits, a two-album set available on CD, includes (among others) the tracks "Dirty Work Going On", "Encourage Me Baby", "Don't Start Me To Talking" and Little Milton's "How Could You Do It to Me".
He died in Reno, Nevada[1] in 1990 at the age of 55 from stomach cancer. He had two children: one son, Joseph Devon Valery (born February 26, 1959), and one daughter, Angela Maria Valery (born July 5, 1960).
Discography
Studio albums
- Southern Country Boy (Jewel, 1972)
- Happy Here - "Earthy Blues" (Space, 1973)
- Best Of The Blues (Kris, 1978)
- It's My Turn Now (Empire Enterprise, 1984)
- Dirty Work Going On (Evejim, 1987)
- I'm Doing All Right Again (Evejim, 1989)
Collaborative album
- Chicago Blues Festival '86 with Eddie Burns (Black & Blue, 1993)
Compilations
- Blue's Blues (Jewel, 1987)
- Greatest Hits (Evejim, 1996)
- The Very Best Of Little Joe Blue (Collectables, 2006)
- Dirty Work Goin' On (Black & Blue, 2008)
References
- 1 2 3 4 Allmusic biography
- ↑ "Valery, Joseph, Jr. [Little Joe Blue] (1934–1990)". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 24 January 2015.