Biography
The source of this Chicago blues scene rhythm guitarist's nickname requires scant investigation, given that Lefty Bates performed on his instrument in an inverted orientation, consistent with the practice of numerous left-handed players. William Bates entered the world in 1920, though Mississippi and Alabama both lay claim to him as a native, the latter assertion arising from possible birth in that state's thriving Leighton community. Raised in St. Louis, he assembled while still attending high school a vocal and string ensemble of the sort prevalent in black neighborhoods throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Known as the Hi-De-Ho Boys, the unit featured vocalist and dancer Tommy Powell, bassist and vocalist James Crosby, and the guitarist-vocalist trio of Bill Williams, Walter Jones, and Cleo Roberts. The ensemble relocated to Chicago in 1936, cut sides for Decca, and maintained steady club engagements through 1950. Bates completed a tour of duty in the Second World War during this span and assembled his own small group upon discharge, which paved the way for a period with the Aristo-Kats, who issued several recordings on RCA Victor. Once the Aristo-Kats disbanded, Bates rejoined the Hi-De-Ho Boys.
At the outset of the 1950s he organized a trio alongside bassist Quinn Wilson, an Aristo-Kats alumnus, and the renowned Chicago pianist Horace Palm. The threesome performed extensively through the decade, occasionally expanding to a quartet via the addition of a horn player. Releases issued under Bates's own name remained scarce, consisting of a lone 1955 single on Boxer, another several years later on United, and a pair of Apex sides at the decade's end. An additional 1958 outing appeared on the Mad label with his group, a concern whose designation captured the prevailing outlook within the independent recording sector as well as the sentiments of artists after their material failed to register. Such proved the case for Bates, whose sides attracted no attention, yet this outcome evidently caused him little concern. The bulk of his livelihood derived from club appearances and session guitar contributions to other artists' recordings. For years he remained a fixture at Chicago blues venues such as the storied Theresa's and occupied the second guitar chair on numerous dates by blues luminaries including Jimmy Reed and Buddy Guy.
Delivering rhythm guitar on blues dates seldom yields widespread recognition, since listeners frequently focus on lead lines within rhythm and blues while overlooking the supporting foundation supplied by such players. Bates demonstrated versatility, comfortably navigating Reed's relaxed shuffle feel as readily as Guy's forceful, occasionally relentless attack. He also appears on sessions by lesser-known figures such as Larry Birdsong and Honey Brown, and ranked among the limited number of rhythm guitarists capable of tracking John Lee Hooker into his single-chord explorations. This adaptability across blues contexts accounted for his selection as a member of what became the house band for the celebrated Vee Jay label, alongside bassist, bandleader, and manager Al Smith and the robust, honking saxophonist Red Holloway. The unit had previously operated under the Chance imprint, Vee Jay's predecessor, whose title encapsulated its guiding outlook: once recorded, a side stood a chance of release, and the musicians stood an equal chance of compensation, though anticipating payment proved unwise. The operation functioned from a garage and produced some of the earliest Jimmy Reed recordings backed by the vocal group the Spaniels. Vee Jay later increased compensation to $41.25 per musician per session, though Holloway later recalled in conversation that the players "...might have to wait a couple of months before you got that." Sessions typically coalesced without rehearsal or deliberation, requiring the musicians to devise accompaniments on the spot for whichever lead singer the company had booked, whether an electrified country blues performer or a more polished doo-wop ensemble.
Bates entered a comparable multi-role arrangement with the fledgling Club 51 imprint, another Chicago concern that documented the era's blend of blues, R&B, doo-wop, and jazz. There the left-handed guitarist assumed leadership of the studio ensembles, often billed as the Lefty Bates Orchestra. Several Club 51 releases paired Bates and his regular sidemen—frequently the same personnel from the Vee Jay dates—with vocal groups such as the Five Buddies or established Chicago blues figures such as pianist Sunnyland Slim. During the 1970s Bates assumed direction of the Ink Spots, by then functioning more as a franchise than a fixed ensemble.
At the outset of the 1950s he organized a trio alongside bassist Quinn Wilson, an Aristo-Kats alumnus, and the renowned Chicago pianist Horace Palm. The threesome performed extensively through the decade, occasionally expanding to a quartet via the addition of a horn player. Releases issued under Bates's own name remained scarce, consisting of a lone 1955 single on Boxer, another several years later on United, and a pair of Apex sides at the decade's end. An additional 1958 outing appeared on the Mad label with his group, a concern whose designation captured the prevailing outlook within the independent recording sector as well as the sentiments of artists after their material failed to register. Such proved the case for Bates, whose sides attracted no attention, yet this outcome evidently caused him little concern. The bulk of his livelihood derived from club appearances and session guitar contributions to other artists' recordings. For years he remained a fixture at Chicago blues venues such as the storied Theresa's and occupied the second guitar chair on numerous dates by blues luminaries including Jimmy Reed and Buddy Guy.
Delivering rhythm guitar on blues dates seldom yields widespread recognition, since listeners frequently focus on lead lines within rhythm and blues while overlooking the supporting foundation supplied by such players. Bates demonstrated versatility, comfortably navigating Reed's relaxed shuffle feel as readily as Guy's forceful, occasionally relentless attack. He also appears on sessions by lesser-known figures such as Larry Birdsong and Honey Brown, and ranked among the limited number of rhythm guitarists capable of tracking John Lee Hooker into his single-chord explorations. This adaptability across blues contexts accounted for his selection as a member of what became the house band for the celebrated Vee Jay label, alongside bassist, bandleader, and manager Al Smith and the robust, honking saxophonist Red Holloway. The unit had previously operated under the Chance imprint, Vee Jay's predecessor, whose title encapsulated its guiding outlook: once recorded, a side stood a chance of release, and the musicians stood an equal chance of compensation, though anticipating payment proved unwise. The operation functioned from a garage and produced some of the earliest Jimmy Reed recordings backed by the vocal group the Spaniels. Vee Jay later increased compensation to $41.25 per musician per session, though Holloway later recalled in conversation that the players "...might have to wait a couple of months before you got that." Sessions typically coalesced without rehearsal or deliberation, requiring the musicians to devise accompaniments on the spot for whichever lead singer the company had booked, whether an electrified country blues performer or a more polished doo-wop ensemble.
Bates entered a comparable multi-role arrangement with the fledgling Club 51 imprint, another Chicago concern that documented the era's blend of blues, R&B, doo-wop, and jazz. There the left-handed guitarist assumed leadership of the studio ensembles, often billed as the Lefty Bates Orchestra. Several Club 51 releases paired Bates and his regular sidemen—frequently the same personnel from the Vee Jay dates—with vocal groups such as the Five Buddies or established Chicago blues figures such as pianist Sunnyland Slim. During the 1970s Bates assumed direction of the Ink Spots, by then functioning more as a franchise than a fixed ensemble.