Biography
Big Maceo Merriweather’s commanding piano work on the 88s established a foundation that later Chicago blues keyboardists of the 1950s would build upon, among them Johnny Jones, Otis Spann, and Henry Gray. A debilitating stroke in 1946 curtailed his career, and he passed away only a few years afterward, never witnessing the subsequent developments those players brought to the style. Already an experienced pianist, Major Merriweather reached Detroit in 1924. Following local engagements throughout the Motor City, he moved to Chicago in 1941, where he made his first recordings for producer Lester Melrose on RCA Victor’s Bluebird label. That initial session yielded fourteen titles—six under his own name and eight supporting the celebrated Chicago guitarist Tampa Red. Among those early sides, “Worried Life Blues” attained lasting status as a blues standard, later covered by Chuck Berry for Chess Records.
He continued as Tampa Red’s preferred pianist, performing regularly alongside both Red and Big Bill Broonzy throughout Chicago’s South Side. Between 1941 and 1942, and again in 1945, Merriweather recorded strong sessions as a leader for Bluebird, highlighted by the powerful “Chicago Breakdown.” The 1946 stroke left his right side paralyzed, yet he persisted: a 1947 Victor date featured Eddie Boyd on piano, while a 1949 Specialty session placed Johnny Jones at the keyboard. His condition gradually worsened until his death in 1953.
He continued as Tampa Red’s preferred pianist, performing regularly alongside both Red and Big Bill Broonzy throughout Chicago’s South Side. Between 1941 and 1942, and again in 1945, Merriweather recorded strong sessions as a leader for Bluebird, highlighted by the powerful “Chicago Breakdown.” The 1946 stroke left his right side paralyzed, yet he persisted: a 1947 Victor date featured Eddie Boyd on piano, while a 1949 Specialty session placed Johnny Jones at the keyboard. His condition gradually worsened until his death in 1953.