Moon Mullican
| Moon Mullican | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Aubrey Wilson Mullican |
| Born |
March 29, 1909 Polk County, Texas, United States |
| Died | January 1, 1967 (aged 57) Beaumont, Texas |
| Genres | Country and western, western swing, blues, rockabilly |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, pianist, songwriter |
| Years active | 1926–1966 |
| Labels |
King Coral |
| Associated acts |
Cliff Bruner Jimmie Davis |
Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known as Moon Mullican, and "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. However, he also sang and played jazz, rock 'n' roll, and the blues. He was associated with the hillbilly boogie style which greatly influenced rockabilly. Jerry Lee Lewis cited him as a major influence on his own singing and piano playing.
Mullican once stated, "We gotta play music that'll make them goddamn beer bottles bounce on the table".
Mullican was born to Oscar Luther Mullican (1876–1961) and his first wife, Virginia Jordan Mullican (1880–1915), near Corrigan, Polk County, Texas. They were a farming family of Scottish, Irish and Eastern European ancestry. His Scots-Irish immigrant ancestor, James Mullikin, was born in Scotland, arriving in Maryland in the 1630s from Northern Ireland. His paternal grandfather was Pvt. Wilson G. Mullican, who served in the 6th Mississippi Infantry, Confederate States Army, at the Battle of Shiloh. Mullican's parents, stepmother, and grandparents are all buried in Stryker Cemetery, Polk County, Texas.
As a child, Mullican began playing the organ, which his religious father had purchased in order to better sing hymns at church. However, Moon made friends with Joe Jones, a black sharecropper on the family farm, who introduced him to the country blues. Moon's parents did not always approve, and he was torn between religious and secular music. After making his mark as a local piano player, Mullican left home at age 16, going to Houston, where he played piano and sang in local clubs. His early career choice had been either to be a singer or a preacher, and he decided on music.
By the 1930s, Mullican had acquired his nickname "Moon". Published sources suggest it short for "moonshine" or possibly from his all-night performances, his family says it was because he loved to play "Shoot the Moon", a variation of the dominoes game "42".
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