About Memphis Slim

Memphis Slim (3 September, 1915 in Memphis, Tennessee - 24 February, 1988 in Paris, France) was a blues pianist and singer. His birth name was John Len Chatman although he himself claimed to be born Peter Chatman (the name he gave himself in honour of his father Peter Chatman Sr. when he first recorded for Okeh in 1940). He composed the blues standards "Every Day I Have the Blues" and "Mother Earth". Memphis Slim got his start playing the blues at the Midway Café, at 357 Beale Street (southeast corner of Fourth and Beale Streets) in Memphis in 1931. Two years before his death, Memphis Slim was named a Commander in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of France. Memphis Slim died on 24 February, 1988 in Paris, France at the age of 72. During his lifetime, he cut over 500 recordings and influenced blues pianists that followed him for decades. Discography REMEMBER Memphis died in 1988, many of the later albums listed were posthumous releases Also recorded 2345 songs in total!!!! YearTitleLabel 1959Memphis Slim and the Real Boogie-WoogieFolkways Records 1960Memphis Slim and the Honky-Tonk SoundFolkways Records 1960Travelling with the BluesStoryville 1960Blue This EveningBlack Lion 1960Pete Seeger at the Village Gate with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon - Vol 1Folkways Records 1960Songs of Memphis Slim and "Wee Willie" DixonFolkways Records 1961Tribute To Big Bill BroonzyCandid 1961Steady Rollin' Blues: The Blues Of Memphis SlimOBC 1961Memphis Slim U.S.A.Candid 1961Broken Soul BluesBeat Goes On 1961Alone With My FriendsBattle 1961Chicago Blues: Boogie Woogie and Blues Played and Sung By Memphis SlimFolkways Records 1961Blues by Jazz Gillum Singing and Playing His Harmonica: With Arbee Stidham and Memphis SlimFolkways Records 1961No StrainBluesville 1962Sonny Boy Williamson & Memphis Slim: In ParisGNP Crescendo 1962Pete Seeger at the Village Gate with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon - Vol 2Folkways Records 1962Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon at the Village Gate with Pete SeegerFolkways Records 1963All Kinds of BluesBluesville 1963Jazz In Paris: Aux Trois MailletzPolygram 1964Clap Your HandsMaison De Blues 1967Bluesingly YoursMaison De Blues 1968Lord Have Mercy On MeMaison De Blues 1969The BluesmanMaison De Blues 1969Mother EarthOne Way Records 1970The Blue Memphis SuiteMaison De Blues 1970Messin' Around with the Blues: The Very Best OfKing 1971Boogie WoogieMaison De Blues 1971Born With The BluesFuel 2000 1971Blue MemphisWounded Bird 1972South Side Reunion: Memphis Slim & Buddy GuySunny Side 1973Legacy of the Blues, Vol 7: Memphis SlimGnp Crescendo 1973Memphis SlimStoryville 1973Soul BluesAcrobat Records 1973Raining the BluesFantasy 1973Memphis Slim - Favorite Blues SingersFolkways Records 1973Very Much Alive and in MontreuxUniversal International 1975Going Back To TennesseeMaison De Blues 1981Rockin' the BluesCharly 1981Memphis Heat: Canned Heat & Memphis Slim (recorded in 1970)Sunny Side 1981I'll Just Keep On Singin' the BluesSLG, LLC 1990Steppin' Out: Live at Ronnie ScottsCastle Music UK 1990Together Again One More Time/Still Not Ready For EddieTexas Music Group 1990Parisian BluesPolygram 1990The Real Folk BluesMca 1992Blues Masters Vol 9: Memphis Slim 1993London Sessions 1960Sequel Records UK 1994The Blues Collection Vol 13: Beer Drinkin' WomanADD 1994LonesomeLegacy International 1994Live at the Hot ClubBMG International 1995Boogie After MidnightChicago Music Co. 1996The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1: 1940-1941 (Peter Chatman As Memphis Slim)EPM Musique 1996Come Back & Other ClassicsMasters Intercontinental 1996The Bluebird Recordings, 1940-1941RCA 1997Dialogue in Boogie: Memphis Slim & Philippe LejeuneHappy Bird 1998Lonely NightsCatfish 1998Very Best of Memphis Slim: The Blues Is EverywhereCollectables 1999Life Is Like ThatCharly UK 2000The Folkways Years, 1959-1973Smithsonian Folkways 2000Blues At MidnightCatfish 2000Memphis Slim at the Gate of the HornVee-Jay 2001The Complete Recordings, Vol. 2: 1946-1948EPM Musique 2001Essential MastersCleopatra 2001Blue and LonesomeArpeggio Blues 2001Ambassador of the BluesIndigo UK 2002The Complete Recordings, Vol. 3: 1948-1950EPM Musique 2002I Am The BluesPrestige Elite 2002Kansas CityClassic World 2002Boogie For My FriendsBlack & Blue France 2002The Come BackDelmark 2002Blues Legends: Memphis SlimLead 2003Three Women Blues 2003The Complete Recordings, Vol 4: 1951-1952EPM Musique 2004Worried Life Blues 2004Grinder Man BluesSnapper UK 2004The Best of Memphis SlimLiquid 8 2005Boogie For 2 Pianos Vol 1: Memphis Slim & Jean-Paul Amouroux 2005Paris Mississippi BluesSunny Side 2005Double-Barreled Boogie: Memphis Slim & Roosvelt SykesSunny Side 2006Forty Years of MorePassport Audio 2006Memphis SuiteSunny Side 2006Rockin' This House: Chicago Blues Piano 1946-1953 (CDs A&B)JSP Records 2006The Sonet Blues StoryVerve Records 2006An Introduction to Memphis SlimFuel 2000 2007The Ultimate Jazz Archive 14 1940-41 (1 Of 4)Carinco AG 2007Sings the BluesWnts 2007Chicago Blues Masters Vol 1: Muddy Waters And Memphis SlimCapitol 2007Cold Blooded WomanCollectables Records 2008Greatest MomentsStardust 2008Four WallsJukebox Entertainment 2008Born To BoogieUnlimited Media 2008Legend of the BluesWounded Bird Records 2009Fip Fil and Fim101 Distribution