Frankie Lee (musician)
| Frankie Lee | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Frankie Lee Jones |
| Also known as | Little Frankie Lee |
| Born |
April 29, 1941 Mart, Texas, United States |
| Died | April 24, 2015 (aged 73) Sacramento, California, United States |
| Genres | Soul blues, electric blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | Various including Peacock, HighTone and Blind Pig |
Frankie Lee (April 29, 1941 – April 24, 2015) was an American soul blues and electric blues singer and songwriter who released six albums. His style has been compared to Otis Redding. The Daily News wrote that Lee's was "one of the most energetic blues voices of any time or place".
Frankie Lee Jones was born in Mart, Texas. His early involvement in music began by singing gospel music in church, before signing to Peacock Records in 1963. Billed as Little Frankie Lee, he released three singles which included "Taxi Blues", a regional hit and his best known song. After living with his friend Sonny Rhodes in Austin, Texas, Lee was recruited by Ike Turner to join the touring ensemble backing Ike & Tina Turner. Lee later said of that time, "I'll never forget it. I dug the music and the way they performed. Tina in particular just knocked me out. It was amazing how she would go out and grab an audience - that's what I wanted to do. So I would just sit back and take notes. I learned a lot." Lee then settled in Houston and worked with other musicians including Big Mama Thornton, Ted Taylor, Junior Parker and Joe Hinton.
Lee befriended Albert Collins during this period and, in 1965, they both relocated to California, with Lee singing in Collins' band from that time until 1968. In 1971, Lee was signed to Elka Records and his cousin, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, produced Lee's tracks. In the late 1970s, Lee's own backing ensemble included a young Robert Cray.
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