Biography
Born 12 June 1910 in Belzoni, Mississippi, and deceased 23 December 1976 in Fresno, California, Gilmore earned his living as a guitarist—though he apparently never appeared on disc in that role—and as a high-spirited vocalist. In 1952 he cut sides for Modern, with Ike Turner at the piano and James Scott Jnr. handling guitar duties; an early casualty of studio editing, Scott found himself replaced on the released track when an introduction and solo by Elmore James were grafted onto “Rambling On My Mind.” The next year Gilmore entered the studio again, this time for Sun Records, supported by Earl Hooker’s band, yet those masters remained unissued for years. He spent time working the Delta juke joints, took jobs in St. Louis and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and eventually moved to California, where he spent the rest of his days.