Jim Dickinson (born James Luther Dickinson, November 15, 1941, Little Rock, Arkansas, died August 15, 2009, Memphis, Tennessee) was an American record producer, pianist and singer who fronted, among others, the Memphis based band, Snake Eyes.
Dickinson moved to Memphis, Tennessee at an early age. After attending school at Baylor University, he returned to Memphis and played on recording sessions for Bill Justis, and at Chips Moman's American Studios. Dickinson recorded what has been called the last great record on the Sun label, "Cadillac Man" b/w "My Babe" by the Jesters, playing piano and singing lead on both sides, even though he was not an actual member of the group. In the late 1960s, Dickinson joined with fellow Memphis musicians Charlie Freeman, Michael Utley, Tommy McClure and Sammy Creason; this group became known as the "Dixie Flyers" and provided backup for musicians recording for Atlantic Records. Perhaps their best-known work was for Aretha Franklin's 1970 Spirit in the Dark. In 1971, Dickinson also played piano on The Rolling Stones' hit Wild Horses and on The Flamin Groovies' track Teenage Head. In 1972 Dickinson released his first solo album, Dixie Fried, which was a mixture of songs by Bob Dylan, Carl Perkins and Furry Lewis.
In the 1970s he became known as a producer, recording Big Star's Third in 1974, as well as serving as co-producer with Alex Chilton on the 1979 Chilton album Like Flies on Sherbert. He has produced Willy DeVille, Green on Red, Mojo Nixon, The Replacements, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins, among many others, and in 1977 an aural documentary of Memphis' Beale Street, Beale Street Saturday Night, which featured performances by Sid Selvidge, Furry Lewis and Dickinson's band Mud Boy and the Neutrons. He has also worked with Ry Cooder and with Dylan. In 1998, he produced Mudhoney's, Tomorrow Hit Today.[[2]]
His sons Luther and Cody, who played on his 2002 solo effort Free Beer Tomorrow, and the 2006 Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger, have achieved success on their own as the North Mississippi Allstars.
[edit] Snake Eyes
In 2007 Dickinson played the Memphis-based rock band, Snake Eyes. The band, formed by Memphis musican Greg Roberson (former Reigning Sound drummer), featured Jake Vest, Toby Vest, and Adam Hill. While the band disbanded in October 2008, the members did complete two full albums, slated for a November 2009 release; though Dickinson's cardiac issues, which started in May of 2009, set back that release date. Roberson went on to form another Memphis group, Ten High & the Trashed Romeos.[[3]]
[edit] Death
Dickinson died August 15, 2009 at Methodist Extended Care Hospital in Memphis following triple bypass heart surgery.[1][1]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo albums
- Dixie Fried (1972, Atlantic). - CD issued on SepiaTone, 2002
- A Thousand Footprints in the Sand (live) (1997, Last Call/Sony, France)
- Free Beer Tomorrow (2002, Artemis)
- Jungle Jim And The Voodoo Tiger (2006, Memphis Int'l)
- Fishing with Charlie (Spoken Word) (2006, Birdman)
- Killers from Space (2007, Memphis Int'l)
[edit] With Mudboy And The Neutrons
- Known Felons in Drag (1986, New Rose)
- Negro Streets At Dawn (1993, New Rose)
- They Walk Among Us (1995, Koch)
As a compiler
- Beale Street Saturday Night (1979, Memphis Development)
- Delta Experimental Project Vol I (1988, New Rose/Fan Club, France)
- Delta Experimental Project Vol II (1990, New Rose/Fan Club, France)
- Delta Experimental Project Vol III (2003, Birdman)
References
- Ankeny, Jason. "Jim Dickinson Biography." Allmusic. Retrieved AUG. 18, 2008.
- Gordon, Robert. It Came From Memphis, Pocket Books. ISBN 0743410459.
- Official Snake Eyes MySpace [[4]]
External links
- Jim Dickinson Died
- http://www.zebraranch.com/ (Official website)
- http://www.myspace.com/memphissnakeeyes (Jim's latest band, Snake Eyes)
- http://www.furious.com/perfect/jimdickinson.html (Interview)
- http://www.popculturepress.com/jimdickinson.html (Interview)
