Explore › Smokey Wilson
Smokey Wilson
Artist

Smokey Wilson

Genre: Blues, Electric Blues, West Coast Blues, Juke Joint Blues
Origin: U.S.A
Play Follow

Biography

Guitarist Smokey Wilson, based in Los Angeles, impressed dedicated blues listeners soon after he launched a determined push toward a complete professional career. His Bullseye Blues album Smoke n' Fire, issued in 1993, evoked the intense spirit of the Mississippi Delta where he spent his early years. Robert Lee Wilson had already lived and performed alongside Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes, Big Jack Johnson, Frank Frost, and other established Mississippi figures before he moved to Los Angeles in 1970 at age 35. Instead of pursuing a path centered on constant road work, he founded the Pioneer Club in Watts, fronted its house band, and welcomed top-tier visiting artists including Joe Turner, Percy Mayfield, Pee Wee Crayton, Albert Collins, and many more.

Early on, Wilson entered the studio only occasionally, and his Big Town LPs did not fully showcase his strengths. A 1983 Murray Brothers session, later reissued by Blind Pig and featuring harpist Rod Piazza plus Hollywood Fats on rhythm guitar, signaled a clear change in direction, showing he was prepared to bring a Mississippi imprint to Southern California blues. Smoke n' Fire from 1993, the 1995 follow-up The Real Deal (a title also used that year for albums by John Primer and Buddy Guy), and 1997's The Man from Mars place Smokey Wilson among the most striking late arrivals in the blues field.

Top Songs

  1. Back to the RoadhouseWhisley FoolBack to the Roadhouse · 2008Back to the Roadhouse4:17
  2. The Man From MarsEasy BabyThe Man From Mars · 1997The Man From Mars5:30
  3. 88th Street BluesStanding At The Crossroads88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues3:34
  4. 88th Street BluesYou Better Watch Yourself88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues2:58
  5. 88th Street BluesYou Don't Love Me88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues4:33
  6. 88th Street Blues88th Street Blues88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues4:45
  7. 88th Street BluesSun Is Shining88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues3:06
  8. 88th Street BluesI Didn't Know88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues3:25
  9. 88th Street BluesYou Know What My Body Needs88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues4:22
  10. 88th Street BluesHowlin' For My Darlin'88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues4:06
  11. 88th Street BluesI Got Something On You Baby88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues3:51
  12. 88th Street BluesHow Smokey Feels88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues4:06
  13. 88th Street BluesSmokey's Shuffle (Instrumental)88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues3:04
  14. 88th Street BluesDimples88th Street Blues · 199588th Street Blues5:30
  15. Back to the RoadhouseI'm CheapBack to the Roadhouse · 2008Back to the Roadhouse3:38
  16. Back to the RoadhouseTexas On My MindBack to the Roadhouse · 2008Back to the Roadhouse3:47
  17. The Man From MarsDoctor BluesThe Man From Mars · 1997The Man From Mars6:07
  18. Back to the RoadhouseHard Cold SteelBack to the Roadhouse · 2008Back to the Roadhouse3:45
  19. Back to the RoadhouseMissing YouBack to the Roadhouse · 2008Back to the Roadhouse3:16
  20. Back to the RoadhouseBlazing Texas SunBack to the Roadhouse · 2008Back to the Roadhouse3:06

Albums

88th Street Blues

88th Street Blues

1995
88th Street Blues
Smokey Wilson · Album · 1995
Play
  1. Standing At The CrossroadsSmokey Wilson3:34
  2. You Better Watch YourselfSmokey Wilson2:58
  3. You Don't Love MeSmokey Wilson4:33
  4. 88th Street BluesSmokey Wilson4:45
  5. Sun Is ShiningSmokey Wilson3:06
  6. I Didn't KnowSmokey Wilson3:25
  7. You Know What My Body NeedsSmokey Wilson4:22
  8. Howlin' For My Darlin'Smokey Wilson4:06
  9. I Got Something On You BabySmokey Wilson3:51
  10. How Smokey FeelsSmokey Wilson4:06
  11. Smokey's Shuffle (Instrumental)Smokey Wilson3:04
  12. DimplesSmokey Wilson5:30