Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him". Turner's greatest fame was due to his rock and roll recordings in the 1950s, particularly "Shake, Rattle and Roll", but his career as a performer endured from the 1920s into the 1980s.
Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, with the Hall lauding him as "the brawny voiced 'Boss of the Blues'". AllMusic called Turner "the premier blues shouter of the postwar era".
(Read more at Wikipedia.)
Links to Peel[]
Big Joe Turner's central role in the creation of rock and roll, especially his 1950s work for Atlantic Records, was recognized in Peel's playlists especially by airtime for covers of his songs by later artists and also in music history documentary series narrated by the DJ.
The most celebrated cover of a Turner song was the hit version of "Shake, Rattle And Roll" (with sanitized lyrics) by Bill Haley And His Comets. JP also played renditions by Arthur Conley and Teengenerate.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- None
Sessions[]
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Shows Played[]
BIG JOE TURNER. Shake, Rattle & Roll. Live 1954 Performance from Rhythm & Blues Revue
- 14 March 1983: Sweet Sixteen
- 29 June 1983: Howling Winds (v/a LP - Stompin’ At The Savoy) Arista
- 13 August 1984: Honey Hush (album - Jumpin' With Joe) Charly R&B
- Other
- Jerry Wexler: Soul Man: Shake Rattle & Roll
- The Dansette Story: Lipstick, Powder And Paint
Covered[]
(The list below was compiled only from the Cover Versions page of this site. Please add more information if known.)
Artist | Track | First Known Play
- Arthur Conley: Shake, Rattle And Roll 17 July 1967
- Count Bishops: Teenage Letter 15 January 1976
- Fleetwood Mac: Honey Hush (session) 22 August 1970
- Bill Haley: Shake, Rattle And Roll Peeling Back The Years
- Taste: Wee Wee Baby ('Wee Baby Blues') 20 April 1969
- Teengenerate: Shake, Rattle And Roll 07 April 1995
- '68 Comeback: Flip, Flop And Fly 16 April 1994 (BBC World Service)