Pee wee crayton biography

Blues guitarist Connie Curtis (Pee Wee) Crayton was.
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Connie Curtis Crayton (December 18, 1914 – June 25, 1985), known as Pee Wee Crayton, was an American R&B and blues guitarist and singer.

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Pee Wee Crayton

Pee Wee Crayton was one of the brightest stars on the West Coast blues horizon when his 1948 recording of “Blues After Hours” reached No. 1 on Billboard magazine’s chart for “race records” (renamed “rhythm & blues” in 1949). It remains the only instrumental by a guitarist to ever occupy the top R&B spot. Although his run on the charts ended in 1950, Crayton continued to display a creative flair on later records and delivered many a memorable performance. Guitarists Lowell Fulson, Johnny Heartsman, Mickey Baker, Doug MacLeod, and others have cited him as an inspiration, and Sun recording artist Billy “The Kid” Emerson claimed that Elvis Presley developed some of his moves after seeing Crayton perform in Memphis. Crayton’s guitar riffs have been cited as the basis for some of Chuck Berry’s, and even for the Beatles’ “Revolution” intro.

It adds up to an impressive legacy for a bluesman who said he had only been playing guitar for about four years when he recorded. He was born Connie Curtis Crayton on December 18, 1914, in Liberty Hill, Texas, near Rockda

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Pee Wee Crayton

American guitarist and singer (1914–1985)

Musical artist

Connie Curtis Crayton (December 18, 1914 – June 25, 1985),^[1] known as Pee Wee Crayton, was an American R&B and bluesguitarist and singer.

Career

Crayton was born in Rockdale, Texas.^[2] He began playing guitar seriously after moving to California in 1935, later settling in Oakland.^[3] While there, he absorbed the music of T-Bone Walker but developed his own unique approach. His aggressive playing contrasted with his smooth vocal style and was copied by many later blues guitarists.

In 1948, he signed a recording contract with Modern Records.^[3] One of his first recordings was the instrumental "Blues After Hours", which reached number 1 on the BillboardR&Bchart late that year.^[3]^[4] Its B-side, the popballad "I'm Still in Love with You", and the quicker "Texas Hop" are good examples of his work.^[5]

In 1950, Crayton and his Orchestra performed at the sixth Cavalcade of Jazz concert, held at Wrigley Field in Los

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PEE WEE CRAYTON BIOGRAPHY

Connie Curtis Crayton (December 18, 1914 – June 25, 1985) known as Pee Wee Crayton, was an American rhythm & blues and blues guitarist and singer.

Born in Rockdale, Texas, United States, there are several stories on how Crayton acquired the name Pee Wee. In a Living Blues article in the 1980s, he stated that friend and singer, Roy Brown, gave him the nickname. This makes sense since Brown had a way of making nicknames for many of his friends. It has also been said that his father gave him the nickname as a tribute to a local Texas piano player. Crayton began playing guitar seriously after moving to California in 1935, and settling in San Francisco. While there he absorbed the music of T-Bone Walker, but developed his own unique approach. His aggressive playing contrasted with his smooth vocal style, and was copied by many later blues guitarists. In 1948 he signed a recording contract with Modern Records.

Pee Wee Crayton on record

One of his first recordings was the instrumental, “Blues After Hours”, which reached #1 in the Billboard R&