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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBONNER, Juke Boy(b Weldon H. Philip Bonner, 22 March '32, Bellville TX; d 29 June '78, Houston) Blues singer, guitarist; also played drums, cymbals, harmonica. Began singing gospel as a child; orphaned at eight, learning guitar from twelve; won talent show at a Houston theatre '48, appeared on radio, worked clubs and juke joints; first records on Irma in California '57, worked as one-man band, recorded in Lake Charles LA '60, in Houston '67--70 (Going Back To The Country and The Struggle on Arhoolie, The One Man Trio on Flyright). Toured Europe, worked festivals, clubs; portion of Royal Albert Hall concert '69 issued on CBS; recorded for Liberty in England '69, in California (Legacy Of The Blues Vol. 5 '72 on GNP), for Home Cooking in Houston (The Texas Blues Troubador '75); died of cirrhosis. Also wrote poetry. Style was influenced by Lightnin' Hopkins, but with more driving rhythm; younger than the classic bluesmen, he played a trad. style (but influenced by country music) on electric and acoustic guitars incl. twelve-string; his lyrics tried harder than trad. blues lines and to some extent he missed both the black audience and white college audiences because his work demanded close listening. The records are still selling. |