American blues musician (1939–2009)
Abu Talib
Birth name Fred Leroy Robinson Born (1939-02-24 ) February 24, 1939Memphis, Tennessee , U.S.Died October 8, 2009(2009-10-08) (aged 70)Lancaster, California , U.S. Genres R&B , blues Occupation Musician Instrument Guitar Years active 1956–94 Labels Queen , Checker , Pacific Jazz , Enterprise
Musical artist
Abu Talib (born Fred Leroy Robinson ; February 24, 1939 – October 8, 2009) was an American blues and R&B guitarist.
Career
Born to an African American family in Memphis, Tennessee , he was raised in the state of Arkansas and moved to Chicago, Illinois , in 1956. Inspired as a guitarist by Joe Willie Wilkins , he first recorded that year, backing harmonica player Birmingham Jones. In 1958, he began touring with Little Walter , and after seeing a jazz band perform was inspired to learn music formally at the Chicago School of Music. He also began working with Howlin' Wolf , recording with him such notable blues classics as "Spoonful ", "Back Door Man " and "Wang Dang Doodle ". In the mid-1960s, he played with R&B singers Jerry Butler and Syl Johnson , before joining Ray Charles ' band in Los Angeles .[ 1] While there, he recorded the instrumental "Black Fox", which became a minor pop hit reaching #56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and # 29 on the R&B chart .[ 2]
In the early 1970s, he worked with English blues bandleader John Mayall , playing on the album Jazz Blues Fusion , and recorded LPs with trumpeter Blue Mitchell . He also recorded two albums in his own name - At The Drive In and Off The Cuff , on which he was supported by Joe Sample and Wilton Felder of The Crusaders - for Enterprise, a subsidiary of Stax Records .[ 1] He also worked with Earl Gaines and Jimmy Rogers in the 1950s and 1960s, Monk Higgins and Stanley Turrentine in the 1970s, and Bobby Bland in the 1980s. In addition to his studio and touring collaborations , Talib also recorded solo, re-emerging in 1994 with an album of his own compositions, The Real Thing at Last .[ 1]
Personal life
Talib converted to Islam in 1975 and changed his name to Abu Talib. After his first wife died, Talib remarried and fathered seven children in his two marriages.[ 3]
On October 8, 2009, Talib died of cancer in Lancaster, California .[ 4] He was 70.
Discography
Singles
1962: "The Buzzard/The Hawk" - Queen
1966: "The Creeper/Go-Go-Girl" - Checker
1968: "The Coming Atlantis/Before Six" - World Pacific
1968: "The Oogum Boogum Song/Black Fox" - World Pacific
1968: "I Likes Yah/Stinger" - Cobblestone
1970: "Carmalita/Stone Stallion" - Liberty
1977: "I Like to Dance/Kneebone" - ICA
Albums
1968: The Coming Atlantis (later entitled Black Fox ) World Pacific
1968: Hot Fun in the Summertime World Pacific/Liberty
1971: At the Drive-In - Enterprise /Polydor /P-Vine
1973: Off the Cuff - Enterprise/P-Vine
1994: The Real Thing at Last - Son Pat
1999: Bluesology - Ace
Collaborations
With Monk Higgins
With Milt Jackson
With John Mayall
With Blue Mitchell
Filmography
References
Bibliography
The Freddy Robinson - Abu Talib Story by Bill Dahl. Blues & Rhythm - The Gospel Truth No. 145 (Christmas 1999), pp. 8 – 13
External links
International National Artists Other