Jerry McCain is a blues musician born on June 19, 1930 in Gadsden, Alabama. The early 21st century saw him at his peak, writing and performing in live shows with the energy of a youth. Indeed, he looks ageless, with a lean body – like a machine in endless motion.
McCain first encountered the blues via two local street musicians, Chick and Shorty. They would play off of each other, great music that inspired Jerry to follow them around as a child.
Growing up, Jerry gained popularity around his home town, playing harmonica on street corners and at local music haunts. “Back in the ‘30s when I was growing up, the only way this music was heard was in the juke joints,” Jerry recalls. “Otherwise, it was country and western performers like Tennessee Ernie Ford.”
Jerry McCain’s Early Recordings:
On October 10, 1953, he cut his first record at Lillian McMurry’s studio (Diamond Recording, Inc) at the back of her furniture store. Jerry’s band was a great group composed of:
Bernard Williams – Tenor
Dave Campbell – Piano
Herman Fowlkes – Bass (& standby)
Chris Carter – Guitar
They recorded four sides including “East of the Sun” and “Wine-o-Wine” which came out on the Trumpet label as “Trumpet 217”.
A year later, his original band plus new members cut 5 songs and released the single “Stay Out of Automobiles”. This composition was dedicated to the Dodge car they used, which suffered numerous tire blow-outs during the long trips to the recording studio at Jackson, MS.
Lillian McMurry’s Diamond Recording did not stay in business for long, unable to take the leap into the fast-expanding national marketplace. As a result, the 45-rpm “Stay Out of Automobiles”, one its last releases, has become a highly valued collector’s item.
In fact, all McCain’s output during his two recording sessions at Diamond appeared on a release, “Trumpet LP 701”, now also a highly-prized collector’s item.
The 70s turned out to be a difficult time for blues musicians, under pressure from the emerging modern rhythms of disco music. McCain didn’t release anything during this period, unlike the earlier years when he had been busy recording for various labels.
In the 80s, Jerry was on his musical feet again, as were other blues players. He called an Englishman, John Abbey, who owned Ichiban Records in Atlanta, GA, which was then the most popular in the blues record business. In four years with Ichiban, he made 4 albums and 5 singles at the Atlanta studio.
In the 90s McCain hit the tour trail for the first time. His venues included the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, followed by Italy, France and Switzerland. Jerry McCain had become a household name in the world of blues. He was in heavy demand and had become a highly-rated performer.
He demonstrated excellent writing skills in many of his songs, often with a touch on contemporary issues like “Viagra Man” and “Ain’t No Use for Drug Abuse”. His monumental project, released in 2000, was “The Stuff Just Kills Me”. It took more than two years in the making, joined by a host of top musicians who were witness to McCain’s convincing power on the blues harp.
In 2006, he suffered a back injury in an accident in Ewing Av, Alabama, but this did not stop him from continuing to shine with his inimitable harmonica performances. He said at the time: “Don’t worry, ‘bout me, I’m Jerry McCain the Viagra man. I’ll show them I ain’t through yet.”
Long live this post-war blues harp master, arguably the greatest harmonica player alive today.
