Jimmy Wilson

b. 1921, Louisiana, USA, d. 1965, Dallas, Texas, USA. Wilson was singing in California with a gospel quartet when his distinctive, bluesy lead was noticed by impresario, Bob Geddins, who recorded Wilson as the blues singer with his band, Bob Geddins’ Cavaliers, and in his own right, for his Cava Tone label, often in the company of legendary Bay Area guitarist, Lafayette Thomas. Some of these tracks created just enough of a stir for Aladdin Records to take an interest and purchase some of Wilson's masters from Geddins, and later during 1952 Wilson began recording for Aladdin and its small subsidiary 7-11. In 1953 Jimmy Wilson again signed with Geddins to record for his new Big Town label, and the first release, Tin Pan Alley, although not a Wilson original, was a tremendous success and has since become synonymous with his name. Most of Wilson's mid-50s output was issued on Big Town, although odd releases appeared on Irma and Elko (the latter under guitarist Jimmy Nolan's name), and four tracks were issued on the Chart label. Later recordings did not match up to the doomy Bay Area sound of his Geddins’ tracks, despite a couple of attempts at the Tin Pan Alley sound and a good local seller Please Accept My Love on Goldband which was covered successfully by B.B. King. Wilson died in 1965 of drink-related problems virtually forgotten by the record-buying public.