Big Chief Ellis

American blues musician

Big Chief Ellis

Background information
Birth name	Wilbert Thirkield Ellis
Born	(1914-11-10)November 10, 1914 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Died	December 20, 1977(1977-12-20) (aged 63) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Instrument(s)	Vocals, piano

Musical artist

Wilbert Thirkield "Big Chief" Ellis^[1] (November 10, 1914 – December 20, 1977)^[2] was an American blues pianist and vocalist.

Biography

Ellis was born in Birmingham, Alabama, United States,^[3] and was an autodidact at piano. He played at local parties and dances in the late 1920s before leaving Alabama, traveling the United States and working odd jobs.^[1] He served in the Army from 1939 to 1942, then moved to New York City, where he accompanied touring blues performers for their concerts there.^[1] He recorded with Lenox Records in 1945, and recorded for Capitol Records with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee in the 1950s.^[4]

In 1972, Ellis moved to Washington, D.C., where he operated a liquor store. Towards the end of his life, Ellis began recording for Trix Records,^[1] where he played again with McGhee as well as Tarheel Slim and John Cephas.^[3]

Ellis died in Birmingham, Alabama, of heart failure aged 63.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Big Chief Ellis Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio". AllMusic.
^ ^a ^b "The Dead Rock Stars Club – The 1970s". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Pearson, Barry Lee (2005). Jook right on: blues stories and blues storytellers (1st ed.). Knoxville, Tennessee, United States: University of Tennessee Press. p. 196. ISBN 1-57233-431-2.
^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 0-85112-673-1.