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Freddie Slack
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<h2 id="life-and-career">Life and career</h2> <p>Slack was born in <a href="/facts/Westby,_Wisconsin/GfV4WFVG">Westby, Wisconsin</a>, United States.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> He learned to play drums as a boy. Later he took up the xylophone, and at the age of 13 he changed to the piano. He studied with a local teacher throughout high school. At the age of 17, he moved with his parents to <a href="/facts/Chicago/yPMokrXH">Chicago</a>, where he continued his musical training. He met <a href="/facts/Rosy_McHargue/MyPv07Hu">Rosy McHargue</a>, a well-known clarinetist, who took him to hear many leading musicians, including <a href="/facts/Bix_Beiderbecke/Uv3jUydH">Bix Beiderbecke</a> and <a href="/facts/Earl_Hines/t9WJV8n2">Earl Hines</a>. His first job was with Johnny Tobin at the Beach View Gardens. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he worked with <a href="/facts/Henry_Halstead/0Lu0Cueu">Henry Halstead</a>, <a href="/facts/Earl_Burtnett/MW0veWqG">Earl Burtnett</a> and <a href="/facts/Lennie_Hayton/XTWgywMz">Lennie Hayton</a>, before joining <a href="/facts/Ben_Pollack/8s6ltWP6">Ben Pollack</a> in 1934.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p><p>He played with the <a href="/facts/Jimmy_Dorsey/hfcM3ffa">Jimmy Dorsey</a> Band in the 1930s and was a charter member of the <a href="/facts/Will_Bradley/EdVrl7Le">Will Bradley</a> Orchestra when it formed in 1939.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> Known to bandmates as "Daddy Slack," he played the piano solo on Bradley's recording of "<a href="/facts/Beat_Me_Daddy,_Eight_to_the_Bar/FG9Ksqj9">Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar</a>",<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> one of the early white boogie-woogie hits and a classic of the big band era. </p><p>He formed his own band in 1942 and signed with the newly founded <a href="/facts/Capitol_Records/5parUIfs">Capitol Records</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> He recorded three songs at his third recording session for Capitol, on May 21, 1942. His <a href="/facts/Sound_recording_and_reproduction/BMbpAWkE">recording</a> of "Cow Cow Boogie," sung by the 17-year-old <a href="/facts/Ella_Mae_Morse/eGIm2NN4">Ella Mae Morse</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> was the second record the new Capitol issued, on July 1, and by July 25 it had reached number 1 on the <a href="/facts/Hit_parade/sHYvXAWJ">hit parade</a>. It was Capitol's first <a href="/facts/Music_recording_sales_certification/zGzLFa9l">gold</a> <a href="/facts/Single_(music)/xkeLPy2P">single</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p><a href="/facts/T-Bone_Walker/j0GA6jYx">T-Bone Walker</a> was a member of Slack's band from 1942 to 1944, and Slack later accompanied Walker on his first solo recording for Capitol, "<a href="/facts/Mean_Old_World/tyPIAp1x">Mean Old World</a>".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> This band also had a hit with "Strange Cargo." </p><p>Slack continued to record with Capitol until at least 1950, recording some 80 tracks for the label.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p>Slack also recorded as an accompanist for <a href="/facts/Big_Joe_Turner/awlKnERM">Big Joe Turner</a>, <a href="/facts/Johnny_Mercer/loo1E8T3">Johnny Mercer</a>, <a href="/facts/Margaret_Whiting/DXrNzJ9m">Margaret Whiting</a> and Lisa Morrow.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p><p>In the original version of the song "<a href="/facts/Down_the_Road_a_Piece/Yd1Uv3yH">Down the Road a Piece</a>", recorded in 1940 by the Will Bradley Orchestra, Slack is mentioned in the lyrics: </p> <blockquote> <p>If you wanna' hear some boogie then I know the place It's just an old piano and a knocked-out bass. </p><p>The drummer-man's a guy they call eight beat Mack You remember Doc and old "Beat Me Daddy" Slack. </p><p>Man it's better than chicken fried in bacon grease Come along with me boy, it's just down the road a piece. </p> </blockquote> <p>"Eight Beat Mack" refers to drummer <a href="/facts/Ray_McKinley/fSh4JQuU">Ray McKinley</a>, and "Doc" relates to the band's bass player, <a href="/facts/Doc_Goldberg/9TgIxDTG">Doc Goldberg</a>. </p><p>His 1955 album, <i>Boogie Woogie on the 88</i>, featured a horn section including jazz musicians <a href="/facts/Shorty_Sherock/EJCWlBPQ">Shorty Sherock</a> and <a href="/facts/Herbie_Harper/BdTEt2Nc">Herbie Harper</a> among others, with arrangements by <a href="/facts/Benny_Carter/t3QJw0Ab">Benny Carter</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p><p>He also co-wrote the 1945 classic "<a href="/facts/The_House_of_Blue_Lights_(song)/Dl1X8VXU">The House of Blue Lights</a>", first recorded with singer <a href="/facts/Ella_Mae_Morse/eGIm2NN4">Ella Mae Morse</a>, and later by <a href="/facts/Chuck_Miller_(musician)/LswEVtxs">Chuck Miller</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> <a href="/facts/The_Andrews_Sisters/H2q2prwU">the Andrews Sisters</a>, <a href="/facts/Chuck_Berry/PgK6bJLf">Chuck Berry</a>, <a href="/facts/Jerry_Lee_Lewis/8y4XYB8s">Jerry Lee Lewis</a>, and <a href="/facts/Asleep_at_the_Wheel/x39HNGu7">Asleep at the Wheel</a>. </p><p>On August 10, 1965, Slack was found dead in his bedroom in <a href="/facts/Hollywood,_Los_Angeles/hF4zF5n6">Hollywood</a>, <a href="/facts/Los_Angeles/pyXpYEX9">Los Angeles</a>, <a href="/facts/California/zLW2vdQJ">California</a>, from undetermined causes.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0805134/">Freddie Slack</a> at <a href="/facts/IMDb_(identifier)/uWrqVYVy">IMDb</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p9676/biography">AllMusic</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2290. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. <a href="0-85112-939-0" target="_blank">0-85112-939-0</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Freddie Slack Discography, Discogs.com, Retrieved 2018-10-31. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/299953-Freddie-Slack" target="_blank">https://www.discogs.com/artist/299953-Freddie-Slack</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2290. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. <a href="0-85112-939-0" target="_blank">0-85112-939-0</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2290. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. <a href="0-85112-939-0" target="_blank">0-85112-939-0</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2290. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. <a href="0-85112-939-0" target="_blank">0-85112-939-0</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2290. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. <a href="0-85112-939-0" target="_blank">0-85112-939-0</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #7". Digital.library.unt.edu. 1972. <a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1633237/m1/#track/3" target="_blank">https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1633237/m1/#track/3</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Ella Mae Morse's biography, AllMusic <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p3133/biography" target="_blank">https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p3133/biography</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"T-Bone Walker biography". Tunegenie.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2021. <a href="https://archive.today/20120915083551/http://www.tunegenie.com/bio/MN0000003829/t-bone-walker/?b=waal" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20120915083551/http://www.tunegenie.com/bio/MN0000003829/t-bone-walker/?b=waal</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"35 Extraordinary Jazz Artists: Jazz Legends & Overlooked Jazz Musicians". Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2021. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071011174732/http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MS-018" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20071011174732/http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MS-018</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2290. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. <a href="0-85112-939-0" target="_blank">0-85112-939-0</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Vinyl Album: Freddie Slack - Boogie Woogie On The 88 (1956)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved October 10, 2021. <a href="http://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/mg36094" target="_blank">http://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/mg36094</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Hard to Find 45's on CD, Vol. 1: 1955-60 - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 October 2021. <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-to-find-45s-on-cd-vol-1-1955-60-mw0000601722" target="_blank">https://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-to-find-45s-on-cd-vol-1-1955-60-mw0000601722</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2290. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. <a href="0-85112-939-0" target="_blank">0-85112-939-0</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>