Slim Harpo was a blues singer, neck-rack harmonica player and guitarist with a direct, laid-back melodic style. No purist, his music incorporated Country techniques, and even psychedelic sounds. His "King Bee" was covered by the Rolling Stones in 1964, and in the late 1960s he was popular with white Rock & Roll audiences.
James Moore was born in 1924 in Lobdell, Louisiana. In the 1940s he started playing in Baton Rouge bars as Harmonica Slim. In the 1950s he performed and recorded with his brother in law Lightnin' Slim.
His first solo release under the name Slim Harpo was "I'm A King Bee" in 1957, followed by a series of successful R&B singles with alternating vocal and harp sections including "Rainin' In My Heart", "I Love The Life I Live", "Little Queen Bee" and "Shake Your Hips" (1964). His 1966 recording of "Baby Scratch My Back" was a number 1 R&B hit, and made it into the pop top 20.
Throughout his musical career, he worked day jobs to supplement his income, including running a trucking company in the 1960s. Slim Harpo died of a heart attack in 1970, aged 45.
Rainin' In My Heart - 1961Baby Scratch My BackLinksBlue Sharp on Slim Harpo |