Air Week: May 5-11, 2025

Amos Milburn was the complete package. He could play boogie woogie piano with the best of ’em, having been influenced by the great Pete Johnson. He sang the smoky R&B ballad almost as well as his buddy Charles Brown and he could shout the blues alongside Roy Brown and Wynonie Harris. Milburn’s delivery was indeed a hit with the public as his Aladdin Records releases spawned 4 #1 R&B records and a total of 16 charting singles (3 of them double-sided hits). However, he wasn’t a star right out of the gate and had to spend 2 years building up his audience for his big 1948 breakthrough, “Chicken Shack Boogie.” From there, the floodgates opened and Milburn enjoyed a few years of solid hit-making, before the crossover success of Rock n’ Roll would snuff out sales. He is mostly remembered today for his drinkin’ songs, but this week on part one of our two-part series on Amos Milburn, you won’t hear any of those types of songs. His career began with the strong sound of boogie woogie and the smoky balladry inspired by Charles Brown and Nat “King” Cole. So lend an ear as Matt The Cat fills the “Juke In The Back” with Amos Milburn’s early career from 1946-49 on this week’s program.

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