LOVE'S REPOSSESSION - LITTLE FRANKIE LEE - SOLID SOUL

One of many records that I tucked away over the years as "having something". I pulled this off one of the shelves tonight and could not remember how it went so I gave it a spin on the vinyl to comp turntable that my boy gave me, for the Xmas before last. I had stuff by him on Peacock but his is obviously a much more modern sound. (Produced by his cousin Johnny Guitar Watson by the way). Born Frankie Lee Jones in 1941 in Mart, Texas, he began singing in church. "I was raised up in a religious household, and the blues was the devil's music." But Frankie fell in love with the blues he heard on the radio. As a teenager he used to sneak out to clubs to hear the likes of B.B. King. After high school he moved to Austin, where he met and worked with Sonny Rhodes. One night Ike Turner heard Frankie in a club and hired him as a featured vocalist, giving Frankie his first road experience and first chance to perform before large crowds. Of the experience, Frankie says, "I'll never forget it. I dug the music and the way they performed. Tina in particular just knocked me out. It was amazing how she would go out and grab an audience - that's what I wanted to do. So I would just sit back and take notes. I learned a lot." Shortly thereafter, Frankie moved to Houston. During this early period in Texas, Frankie worked with the people he admired most - Big Mama Thornton, Buddy Ace, Bobby Bland, Gatemouth Brown, Ted Taylor, Al Braggs, Junior Parker, O.V. Wright, James "Thunderbird" Davis and Joe Hinton. Don Robey, the legendary owner of the historic Duke and Peacock labels, heard Frankie in a Houston nightclub and offered him a contract. In 1963, as Little Frankie Lee, he made his first recording, "Full Time Love". The song was an answer to Little Johnny Taylor's "Part Time Love". Frankie's next record was "Taxi Blues," which was to become a smash hit, as well as Frankie's signature song. He started working with guitarist Albert Collins, and the two became good friends. "Albert was like a big brother to me," says Frankie. They left Texas together in 1965, and Frankie stayed on the road and sang with Albert's band for the next six years. By 1971, Frankie Lee was in Los Angeles, working with his cousin Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Frankie recorded for Elka Records, with Johnny "Guitar" producing. In 1973, Frankie moved to Oakland, the West Coast home of the blues. In the late 70's, a young guitarist by the name of Robert Cray played in Frankie's back-up band. After touring up and down the West Coast, Frankie landed a contract with Hightone Records, for whom he recorded The Ladies And The Fees, an album which received high critical acclaim. Frankie Lee relocated to New York in 1988 where he performed regularly at clubs such as the Ritz, the Lone Star, and Tramps, and worked in similar clubs from Boston to Florida. He recorded his next album with Doug Newby and the Bluzblasters, featuring a guest performance by Lucky Peterson. Entitled Sooner Or Later, it was released by the Flying Fish (now Rounder) label in 1992.

Added 20 Jul 2026