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In 1943 Spires moved to
Chicago and started playing at house parties. By the early 1950s he was playing in clubs. Spires was limited as a guitarist, and during this time he recruited the young guitarists Louis and David Myers, who later went on to form the
366:. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. pp. 221, 229. The authors, citing information from the Social Security Death Index, claim that Arthur Spires was born in Anding, Mississippi, in Yazoo County.
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on one of the two tracks, "Murmur Low". Sales of the resulting single were poor, but both sides, especially "Murmur Low", which has a strong
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on drums and harmonica. The recording session featured the three-guitar lineup of Spires, El, and Earl Dranes, supplemented by Smith on
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remained unissued until the 1970s. Another session, in
December 1954, produced four sides, and although the tapes went to
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in 1953, resulted in the release of another single, but an additional four sides by Spires and two by guitarist
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Spires performed with the Rocket Four through the 1950s. He recorded another largely unissued session for
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singer and guitarist who recorded for several record labels in
Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s.
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they were not released until 1989, possibly because of inferior sound quality.
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He died in
Chicago on October 22, 1990. His son, Bud Spires, lived near
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influence, are today regarded as classics of the
Chicago blues genre.
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in 1965, but was forced to give up playing the guitar because of
121:(February 25, 1912 – October 22, 1990) was an American
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156:At the time of his first recording session for
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381:Chicago Blues: The City and the Music
362:Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013).
137:(some sources give his birthplace as
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469:20th-century American male musicians
272:"Arthur 'Big Boy' Spires: Biography"
439:Musicians from Natchez, Mississippi
394:Arthur 'Big Boy' Spires discography
344:from the original on April 29, 2010
318:from the original on April 28, 2010
27:American blues singer and guitarist
145:at the Beer Garden in Yazoo City.
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338:"The Al Smith Discography part 1"
454:20th-century American guitarists
449:Blues musicians from Mississippi
175:A second recording session, for
81:Chicago, Illinois, United States
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444:20th-century American singers
364:Blues: A Regional Experience
464:Guitarists from Mississippi
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383:. New York: Da Capo Press.
424:American blues guitarists
459:Guitarists from Illinois
429:American male guitarists
236:"The Chess Label Part I"
153:, for his backing band.
419:Chicago blues musicians
162:Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
119:Arthur "Big Boy" Spires
434:American blues singers
340:. hubcap.clemson.edu.
314:. hubcap.clemson.edu.
203:Bentonia, Mississippi
301:Rowe (1981), p. 113.
292:Rowe (1981), p. 129.
261:Rowe (1981), p. 128.
238:. hubcap.clemson.edu
135:Natchez, Mississippi
65:Natchez, Mississippi
133:Spires was born in
312:"The Chance Label"
379:Rowe, M. (1981).
192:Testament Records
143:Lightnin' Hopkins
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109:1930s–1960s
62:February 25, 1912
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346:. Retrieved
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105:Years active
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414:1990 deaths
409:1912 births
403:Categories
274:. AllMusic
213:References
207:Jack Owens
139:Yazoo City
58:1912-02-25
196:arthritis
342:Archived
316:Archived
166:maracas
348:May 9,
322:May 9,
278:May 9,
242:May 9,
86:Genres
123:blues
90:Blues
350:2010
324:2010
280:2010
244:2010
151:Aces
72:Died
52:Born
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