Lefty Bates
| Lefty Bates | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William H. Bates |
| Born |
March 9, 1920 Leighton, Alabama, United States |
| Died | April 7, 2007 (aged 87) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | Chicago blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | Mid 1930s – early 1980s |
| Labels | RCA, Vee-Jay, various |
| Associated acts | Jimmy Reed, Buddy Guy |
Lefty Bates (March 9, 1920 – April 7, 2007) was an American Chicago blues guitarist. He led the Lefty Bates Combo and worked with the El Dorados, the Flamingos, Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Etta James, the Aristo-Kats, the Hi-De-Ho Boys, the Moroccos, and the Impressions. A regular on the Chicago blues scene, his major work was as a session musician on numerous recordings in the 1950s and 1960s.
Bates was married to the well-known area club dancer Mary Cole Bates, who died in 2001.
He was born William H. Bates in Leighton, Alabama, and acquired his nickname from his left-handed guitar playing. He was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, attended Vashon High School, and there helped to form the Hi-De-Ho Boys. In 1936, they relocated to Chicago, recorded for Decca Records and played in clubs. After serving in the military in World War II, Bates joined the Aristo-Kats, who recorded for RCA Victor.
Bates formed his own ensemble with Quinn Wilson, and they played locally through most of the 1950s. Their few recordings were issued by United, Boxer, Mad and Apex Records under Bates's name. Most of his paid work came from regular performances in clubs and as a session musician, notably as a rhythm guitarist with Jimmy Reed and Buddy Guy. He undertook other work with Larry Birdsong and Honey Brown. His versatility led to employment as part of the studio band for Vee-Jay Records, with Red Holloway and Vernel Fournier, among others. Most of the musicians there had earlier worked for Chance Records, backing Jimmy Reed and the Spaniels. Vee-Jay's financial strength helped them survive, and their studio band was expected to back diverse musicians on an ad hoc basis, including R&B, blues, jazz and doo-wop artists. In 1955, the El Dorados found national success with "At My Front Door", on which Bates played guitar, and which peaked at number one on the Billboard R&B chart.
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