Porky Freeman
Quilla Hugh "Porky" Freeman (June 29, 1916 in Vera Cruz, Missouri, United States – July 8, 2001)[1] was an American Western swing performer, bandleader, and songwriter. He was also an electric guitar pioneer and inventor.[2]
Porky Freeman | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Quilla Hugh Freeman |
| Born | June 29, 1916 Vera Cruz, Missouri, United States |
| Died | July 8, 2001 (aged 85) Orange, California |
| Genres | Western swing |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, bandleader |
| Instruments | Electric guitar |
| Years active | 1940s-1950s |
| Associated acts | The Porky Freeman Trio |
In the 1940s he led the Californian based band, the 'Porky Freeman Trio'. One of his early hits, "Porky's Boogie Woogie on Strings", began rock and roll's evolution out of Western swing.[3] As a session musician he backed many of the popular musicians of the time.
His early experimentation with the electric guitar led to several patents for the instrument.[4][5][6] One of the patents, 'Single Pickup Frequency Control For String Instrument',[5] led to legal wrangling with Fender.
Discography
| Year | Part # | Titles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morris Lee Records | |||
| 1944 | 115/116 | Red Murrell & The Rhythm Boys: What The Sergeant Said [W-471] (v: Red Murrell [Porky's rhythm guitarist]) // The Rhythm Boys: Porky's Boogie Woogie On Strings [W-472] (i) | |
| ARA (American Recording Artists) Records | |||
| 1945 | 114 | Bob Crosby & His Orchestra: On The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe [9757] (v: Peggy Lee) // Porky Freeman Trio: On The Night Train To Memphis [12164] (i) | |
| 1945 | 118 | Rum And Coca-Cola [12165] (v: Ruth Foxe) // Boogie Woogie On Strings [12163] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman Trio' |
| 1946 | 133 | Boogie Woogie Boy [1084] (v: Merle Travis) // Tiger Rag [1083] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman Trio' |
| 1946 | 4009 | Porky's Boogie Woogie [1085] (v: Tommy Sargent) // I Love You Too Much [1082] (v: Al Barker [Porky's bass player]) | as 'Porky Freeman Trio' |
| 1946 | 4012 | I Left My Heart In Mississippi [1232] (v: Jesse Ashlock) // That Baby's Changed [1231] (v: Jesse Ashlock) | as 'Porky Freeman Trio' |
| Four Star Records | |||
| 1948 | 1233 | Everybody Loves That Boogie [1792] (v: Porky Freeman) // Spanish Bells [1796] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
| 1948 | 1246 | That Baby's Changed [1820] (v: Jesse Ashlock) // (The Original) Boogie Woogie On Strings [1822] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
| 1949 | 1287 | I Left My Heart In Mississippi [1821] (v: Jesse Ashlock) // Electric Guitar Rag [1795] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
| 1949 | 1315 | The New Look [3068] (v: Porky Freeman) // Pecos Polka [3070] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
| 1950 | 1423 | I Had A Little Wife [3065] (v: Porky Freeman) // Tiger Rag [1823] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
| 1950 | 1478 | Strumming Up A Boogie [3072] (i) // Night Train [1826] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
| 1950 | 1523 | Indian Love Call [1799] (i) // Slick Chick Boogie [1797] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
| 1951 | 1569 | Electric Guitar Blues [3071] (i) // Pickin' 8 To The Bar [1827] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
| 1952 | 1598 | Rollin' South [1827-A] (i) // Chicken Pickin' Boogie [1794] (i) | as 'Porky Freeman & His Trio' |
note: [bracketed numbers] = matrix numbers, (v) = vocal, (i) = instrumental track
Compilations
- The Boogie Woogie Boy (Cattle Compact [Germany] CCD-294, 2000)
References
- Porky Freeman at AllMusic. Retrieved January 2010.]
- Doyle, Peter (2005). Echo and Reverb: Fabricating Space in Popular Music Recording, 1900-1960. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 0-8195-6794-9.
Porky Freeman began adapting boogie bass patterns to the electric guitar in the mid-1940s
- La Chapelle, Peter (2007). Proud to Be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern California. University of California Press. p. 95. ISBN 0-520-24888-0.
Porky Freeman and Red Murrell, the session musicians on Jack Guthrie's 'Oakie Boogie,' even recorded a guitar instrumental, 'Porky's Boogie Woogie on Strings' which many enthusiast argued invoked Memphis barrelhouse music and anticipated rock and roll. Cut during the war, the independent release proved so popular that Freeman and Murrell released it and put it on both side of the disc to keep jukebox listeners from wearing out the groove.
- US patent 3035472, "Stringed musical instrument"
- US patent 3657461, "Single Pickup Frequency Control For String Instrument"
- US patent 4122746, "Stringed musical instrument pick".
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