Stick McGhee
| Stick McGhee | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Granville Henry McGhee |
| Born |
March 23, 1918 Knoxville, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | August 15, 1961 (aged 43) The Bronx, New York, United States |
| Genres | Jump blues, rhythm and blues, electric blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1940s–1960 |
| Labels | Various including Atlantic |
| Associated acts | Brownie McGhee |
Granville Henry "Stick" McGhee (March 23, 1918 – August 15, 1961) was an African-American jump blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his blues song, "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee".
He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. He received his nickname in his early years when he used to push his older brother Brownie McGhee (who was stricken with polio) in a wagon with a stick. Granville began playing the guitar when he was thirteen years old. After his freshman year, Granville dropped out of high school and worked with his father at Eastman Kodak. In 1940, Granville quit his job and moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, and then he relocated to New York City. There he entered the military in 1942 and served in the Army during World War II. In 1946, Granville was discharged and settled in New York.
In the military, Granville often played his guitar. One of the songs, that McGhee was best known for, was "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee". The original lyrics of the song were as follows:
Drinkin’ that mess is our delight, And when we get drunk, start fightin’ all night. Knockin’ out windows and tearin’ down doors, Drinkin’ half-gallons and callin’ for more. Drinkin’ wine motherfucker, drinkin’ wine! Goddam! Drinkin’ wine motherfucker, drinkin’ wine! Goddam! Drinkin’ wine motherfucker, drinkin’ wine! Goddam! Pass that bottle to me!
This song was one of the earliest prototypical rock and roll songs and was covered by Jerry Lee Lewis and Mike Bloomfield's Electric Flag (as "Wine"). The song lent its name to the alcoholic fruit drink, spodi. In 1946, Granville and Brownie McGhee collaborated and modified the song into a clean cut version for Harlem Records. The song was released a year later in January 1947 at the price of 49 cents. The song did not get much airplay time until two years later, when Granville recreated the song for Atlantic Records. As a result, it rose to Number 2 on the Billboard R&B chart, where it stayed for 4 weeks, spending almost half a year on the charts overall.
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