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In 1943 Spires moved to
Chicago and started playing at house parties. By the early 1950s he was playing in clubs. Spires was limited as a guitarist, and during this time he recruited the young guitarists Louis and David Myers, who later went on to form the
355:. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. pp. 221, 229. The authors, citing information from the Social Security Death Index, claim that Arthur Spires was born in Anding, Mississippi, in Yazoo County.
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on one of the two tracks, "Murmur Low". Sales of the resulting single were poor, but both sides, especially "Murmur Low", which has a strong
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on drums and harmonica. The recording session featured the three-guitar lineup of Spires, El, and Earl Dranes, supplemented by Smith on
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remained unissued until the 1970s. Another session, in
December 1954, produced four sides, and although the tapes went to
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in 1953, resulted in the release of another single, but an additional four sides by Spires and two by guitarist
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Spires performed with the Rocket Four through the 1950s. He recorded another largely unissued session for
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singer and guitarist who recorded for several record labels in
Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s.
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they were not released until 1989, possibly because of inferior sound quality.
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He died in
Chicago on October 22, 1990. His son, Bud Spires, lived near
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influence, are today regarded as classics of the
Chicago blues genre.
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in 1965, but was forced to give up playing the guitar because of
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110:(February 25, 1912 – October 22, 1990) was an American
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145:At the time of his first recording session for
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370:Chicago Blues: The City and the Music
351:Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013).
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126:(some sources give his birthplace as
458:20th-century American male musicians
261:"Arthur 'Big Boy' Spires: Biography"
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428:Musicians from Natchez, Mississippi
383:Arthur 'Big Boy' Spires discography
333:from the original on April 29, 2010
307:from the original on April 28, 2010
16:American blues singer and guitarist
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134:at the Beer Garden in Yazoo City.
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327:"The Al Smith Discography part 1"
443:20th-century American guitarists
438:Blues musicians from Mississippi
164:A second recording session, for
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433:20th-century American singers
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353:Blues: A Regional Experience
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453:Guitarists from Mississippi
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372:. New York: Da Capo Press.
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448:Guitarists from Illinois
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225:"The Chess Label Part I"
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408:Chicago blues musicians
151:Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
108:Arthur "Big Boy" Spires
423:American blues singers
329:. hubcap.clemson.edu.
303:. hubcap.clemson.edu.
192:Bentonia, Mississippi
290:Rowe (1981), p. 113.
281:Rowe (1981), p. 129.
250:Rowe (1981), p. 128.
227:. hubcap.clemson.edu
124:Natchez, Mississippi
54:Natchez, Mississippi
122:Spires was born in
301:"The Chance Label"
368:Rowe, M. (1981).
181:Testament Records
132:Lightnin' Hopkins
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98:1930s–1960s
51:February 25, 1912
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32:Also known as
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363:Bibliography
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335:. Retrieved
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309:. Retrieved
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265:. Retrieved
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229:. Retrieved
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94:Years active
66:(1990-10-22)
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403:1990 deaths
398:1912 births
392:Categories
263:. AllMusic
202:References
196:Jack Owens
128:Yazoo City
47:1912-02-25
185:arthritis
331:Archived
305:Archived
155:maracas
337:May 9,
311:May 9,
267:May 9,
231:May 9,
75:Genres
112:blues
79:Blues
339:2010
313:2010
269:2010
233:2010
140:Aces
61:Died
41:Born
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