34 Facts About James Booker

James Carroll Booker III was an American New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist and singer.

James Booker profoundly influenced the New Orleans music scene, where his renditions and originals have been revived and are performed.

James Booker was born in New Orleans on December 17,1939, to Ora, nee Cheatham and Rev James "Jimmie" Harald Booker, a New Orleans Baptist church pastor and World War I army veteran.

James Booker returned permanently to New Orleans in 1948, and enrolled in the fourth grade at a school where he befriended fellow students Art Neville, Charles Neville, and Allen Toussaint.

In 1949 at age 9, James Booker was struck by an ambulance in New Orleans, that he said was traveling about 70 miles an hour.

James Booker was given morphine, which he later regarded as a cause of his eventual drug addiction.

James Booker received a saxophone for his 10th birthday in December 1949.

James Booker had asked for a trumpet, yet mastered the saxophone despite not having chosen it.

Rev Jimmie James Booker died in 1953, the year that James Booker began high school at Xavier University Preparatory School on Magazine Street.

James Booker aspired to become a Catholic priest, yet gave up the idea, deciding to express his faith through music.

James Booker learned some elements of his keyboard style from Tuts Washington and Edward Frank, and was influenced by Professor Longhair and Ray Charles.

James Booker developed a backbeat rhythm that resembles some of Domino's piano playing.

Whatever its origin, James Booker used this to substitute the original rhythm on a wide variety of popular and folk music.

James Booker went on to record on piano with Larry Davis and his blues band in 1958,1959, and 1960 in Houston, Texas.

James Booker recorded on piano with Dave Bartholomew's studio band and Earl King, when King recorded for Imperial records in New Orleans in 1960 and 1961.

In March 1962, James Booker recorded four titles on the organ with Dave Bartholomew's band in New Orleans, of which two were released.

James Booker continued to tour and performed at New Orleans nightclubs from 1960 until 1967.

In September 1966, his sister died, at a time when James Booker was compelled to go on touring despite this event, compounding loss with a lack of opportunity to mourn.

James Booker's mother died the following year, in June 1967.

In 1973, Booker recorded The Lost Paramount Tapes at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California, US with members of the Dr John band, which included John Boudreaux on drums, Jessie Hill on percussion, Alvin Robinson on guitar and vocals, Richard "Didymus" Washington on percussion, David Lastie on sax, and David L Johnson on bass guitar.

James Booker then played organ in Dr John's Bonnaroo Revue touring band in 1974, and appeared as a sideman on albums by Ringo Starr, John Mayall, The Doobie Brothers, Labelle and Geoff Muldaur throughout this period.

James Booker played at the Nice and Montreux Jazz Festivals in 1978 and recorded a session for the BBC during this time.

James Booker needed the energy of the audience to feed off.

Keber states that James Booker was "concert-hall worthy" to European jazz lovers.

From 1978 to 1982, James Booker was the house pianist at the Maple Leaf Bar in the Carrollton neighborhood of uptown New Orleans.

James Booker was subject to the social stigma that affected people who used illicit drugs and those with mental health issues during this era of American history.

James Booker died aged 43 on November 8,1983, while seated in a wheelchair in the emergency room at New Orleans' Charity Hospital, waiting to receive medical attention.

James Booker's death was mourned by music lovers and numerous admirers have emerged in the time since.

James Booker invented an entirely new way of playing blues and roots-based music on the piano, and it was mind-blowingly brilliant and beautiful.

The influential New Orleans musician, composer, and producer Allen Toussaint praised James Booker, applying the term "genius" to him:.

James Booker was an extraordinary musician, both soul wise and groove wise.

James Booker's vocal ability is a subject that has been covered since his death.

Patchwork: A Tribute to James Booker is a 2003 release consisting of a compilation of his songs, performed by various pianists.

James Booker died in 1983 and many of the people who knew him are either dead or reaching that certain age when memories start to fade.