Delbert McClinton (born November 4, 1940) is an American blues rock and electric blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist. Since his professional debut in 1957, he has recorded for major record labels and charted on the Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Rock Tracks, and Hot Country Songs charts, with his highest-charting single being the 1992 duet "Tell Me About It" with Tanya Tucker. He has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Traditional Blues Album. In 2011, McClinton was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame along with Lee Roy Parnell and others, and was honored in 2019 with a star on Austin’s Paramount Theatre Walk of Fame.
Career
Early years
McClinton was born in Lubbock, Texas and moved with his family to Fort Worth, Texas when he was 11 years old.6 He worked in a bar band, the Straitjackets, who backed Sonny Boy Williamson II, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed. McClinton recorded several regional singles before hitting the national chart in 1962, playing harmonica on Bruce Channel's "Hey! Baby".7 On a tour with Channel in the United Kingdom, McClinton instructed John Lennon on the finer points of blues harmonica playing.8
McClinton formed the Ron-Dels, sometimes called the Rondells, with Ronnie Kelly and Billy Wade Sanders.910 The band had a chart single in 1965 with "If You Really Want Me To I'll Go".11
1970s
Relocating to Los Angeles in 1972, McClinton partnered with fellow Texan Glen Clark to perform a combination of country and soul music. They released two albums before splitting and McClinton embarked on a solo career.12
Emmylou Harris had a number 1 hit in 1978 with her recording of McClinton's composition "Two More Bottles of Wine", and a cover version of his "B Movie Boxcar Blues" was on the first album by the Blues Brothers, Briefcase Full of Blues.13
1980s and 1990s
McClinton's 1980 album, The Jealous Kind, contained his only Top 40 hit single, "Giving It Up for Your Love", which peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 35 Adult Contemporary.14 He was inactive in the studio during much of the 1980s, though he toured heavily. McClinton closed the decade with the Grammy-nominated 1989 album Live from Austin, recorded during an appearance on the television program Austin City Limits and co-produced by sax sideman Don Wise, who went on to become a longtime fixture in the band.15
In 1991 McClinton won a Grammy Award for a duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Good Man, Good Woman", and reached the Top 5 of the Country chart with "Tell Me About It", a duet with Tanya Tucker.16 He re-entered the Billboard charts in 1992 with the album Never Been Rocked Enough, which included the charting single "Every Time I Roll the Dice" and a cover of John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me".
McClinton recorded the song "Weatherman", which was played with the opening titles of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. The fledgling label Rising Tide Records released One of the Fortunate Few in 1997, before the label went out of business.17
2000–present
McClinton released two studio albums in the early 2000s for New West Records, which also issued Delbert McClinton Live in 2003, a compilation album of songs from his career. In 2006, he won a Grammy Award for his album Cost of Living in the category Best Contemporary Blues Album.18
Etta James included two McClinton songs on her 2003 album, Let's Roll.
McClinton was a judge for the fourth annual Independent Music Awards, presented to independent artists to support their careers.19 He is featured in the documentary film Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey, by the filmmaker Jay Curlee.
McClinton performed on the Frankie Miller album Double Take, released in 2016; his voice is merged with Miller's in the song "Beginner at the Blues". His 2019 recording, Tall, Dark & Handsome, was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by AllMusic.20 It was awarded the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album21 | Chart Positions22 | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Blues | US Country | US | US Indie | |||
| 1972 | Delbert & Glen | Clean/Atlantic | ||||
| 1973 | Subject to Change (Delbert & Glen) | |||||
| 1975 | Victim of Life's Circumstances | ABC | ||||
| 1976 | Genuine Cowhide | |||||
| 1977 | Love Rustler | 49 | ||||
| 1978 | Second Wind | Capricorn | ||||
| 1979 | Keeper of the Flame | 146 | ||||
| 1980 | The Jealous Kind | 34 | Capitol | |||
| 1981 | Plain' from the Heart | 181 | ||||
| 1987 | Honky Tonkin' | MCA | ||||
| 1989 | Honky Tonkin' (I Guess I Done Me Some) | Alligator | ||||
| Live from Austin | ||||||
| 1990 | I'm with You | Curb | ||||
| 1992 | Never Been Rocked Enough | 118 | ||||
| 1993 | Feelin' Alright | Intermedia | ||||
| Delbert McClinton | Curb | |||||
| 1994 | Shot from the Saddle | Mercury | ||||
| Honky Tonk 'n' Blues | MCA | |||||
| 1995 | Let the Good Times Roll | |||||
| 1997 | One of the Fortunate Few | 2 | 15 | 116 | Rising Tide | |
| 2001 | Nothing Personal | 1 | 20 | 103 | 3 | New West |
| 2002 | Room to Breathe | 1 | 12 | 84 | 3 | |
| 2003 | Live (at the Bergen Musicfest) | 44 | 31 | |||
| 2005 | Cost of Living | 1 | 14 | 105 | 16 | |
| 2006 | Live from Austin, TX | |||||
| 2007 | Rockin' Blues | Direct Source | ||||
| 2009 | Acquired Taste | 1 | 131 | 23 | New West | |
| 2013 | Blind, Crippled and Crazy (Delbert & Glen) | 1 | 172 | 36 | ||
| 2017 | Prick of the Litter | 2 | 18 | Hot Shot | ||
| 2019 | Tall, Dark & Handsome | 1 | 15 | |||
| 2022 | Outdated Emotion | |||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Very Early Delbert McClinton, Vol. 1 | LeCam |
| Very Early Delbert McClinton, Vol. 2 | LeCam | |
| 1989 | Best of Delbert McClinton | Curb |
| 1994 | Classics Volume One (The Jealous Kind) reissue of 1980 album | Curb |
| Classics Volume Two (Plain' from the Heart) reissue of 1981 album | Curb | |
| 1995 | The Great Songs – Come Together | |
| 1999 | The Crazy Cajun Recordings | Edsel |
| Ultimate Collection | Hip-O | |
| 2000 | Don't Let Go: The Collection | Music Club |
| Genuine Rhythm & the Blues | Hip-O | |
| 2003 | The Best of Delbert McClinton: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection | MCA Nashville |
| 2006 | The Definitive Collection | Hip-O |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US23 | US AC24 | US Country25 | US MSR | CAN | CAN Country | |||
| 1965 | "If You Really Want Me To, I'll Go" (the Ron-Dels) | 97 | — | — | — | — | Very Early Delbert McClinton, Vol. 1 | |
| 1972 | "I Received a Letter" (Delbert & Glen) | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | Delbert & Glen |
| 1980 | "Giving It Up for Your Love" | 8 | 35 | — | — | 10 | — | The Jealous Kind |
| 1981 | "Shotgun Rider" | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Sandy Beaches" | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | Plain' from the Heart | |
| 1990 | "I'm with You" | — | — | 78 | — | — | — | I'm with You |
| 1992 | "Every Time I Roll the Dice" | — | — | — | 13 | 40 | — | Never Been Rocked Enough |
| 1995 | "Come Together" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles |
| 1997 | "Sending Me Angels" | — | — | 65 | — | — | 92 | One of the Fortunate Few |
| 2001 | "When Rita Leaves" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Nothing Personal |
| 2002 | "Same Kind of Crazy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Room to Breathe |
| "Lone Star Blues" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005 | "One of the Fortunate Few" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Cost of Living |
| "I Had a Real Good Time" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "Midnight Communion" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2009 | "Mama's Little Baby" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Acquired Taste |
| "Starting a Rumor" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||||
| 1993 | "Tell Me About It" | Tanya Tucker | 4 | 3 | Can't Run from Yourself |
Music videos
| Year | Video |
|---|---|
| 1990 | "I'm with You" |
| 1990 | "Who's Foolin' Who" |
| 1992 | "Everytime I Roll The Dice" |
| 1995 | "Come Together" |
| 1997 | "Sending Me Angels" |
| 2002 | "Lone Star Blues" |
Grammy awards and nominations
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Tall, Dark, & Handsome | Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album | Won | 26 |
| 2006 | "Midnight Communion" | Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance | Nominated | |
| Cost Of Living | Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album | Won | ||
| 2003 | Room To Breathe | Nominated | ||
| 2002 | Nothing Personal | Won | ||
| 1993 | "Tell Me About It" | Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration | Nominated | |
| 1992 | "Good Man, Good Woman" | Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Won | |
| 1990 | Live From Austin | Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Recording | Nominated |
External links
References
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia do of Music. Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5. 1-904041-96-5 ↩
"Search Results for Delbert Mcclinton". Grammy.com. Retrieved January 27, 2020. https://www.grammy.com/search/delbert%20mcclinton ↩
"Texas Heritage Songwriters Association". Texasheritagesongwriters.com. April 28, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016. http://www.texasheritagesongwriters.com ↩
Blackstock, Peter. "It's a Delbert McClinton Weekend: Venue, charity will honor Texas musician in early 2019". Austin360.com. Retrieved January 27, 2020. https://www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20181101/its-delbert-mcclinton-weekend-venue-charity-will-honor-texas-musician-in-early-2019 ↩
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
"Delbert's Biography". Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20101005080953/http://delbert.com/biography.htm ↩
"The house band at the Tracer was the Ron-Dels, a white-boy blues, rock, and country band led by a soulful singer named Delbert McClinton and his buddies Ronnie Kelly and Billy Wade Sanders." Patoski, Joe Nick (2008). Willie Nelson: An Epic Life. Little, Brown. pp. 85–86. ISBN 0316017787. /wiki/ISBN_(identifier) ↩
"McClinton's sides, of the same vintage, display his capable voice leading the Ron-Dels and the Straightjackets, two prominent Fort Worth white punk groups of the day." Texas Monthly, April 1979, p. 183. ↩
"Upon returning to the U.S., McClinton founded a group called the Rondells (sometimes listed as the Ron-Dels), which had a minor chart single in 1965 with 'If You Really Want Me to, I'll Go'". Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2003). All Music Guide to Country. p. 480. ISBN 0879307609. /wiki/ISBN_(identifier) ↩
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 157. /wiki/Joel_Whitburn ↩
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
Huey, Steve. "Delbert McClinton: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p448/biography ↩
"Independent Music Awards – Past Judges". Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110713024722/http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp ↩
"Favorite Blues Albums | AllMusic 2019 in Review". AllMusic. Retrieved December 24, 2019. https://www.allmusic.com/year-in-review/2019/favorite-blues ↩
"Delbert McClinton". Koti.mbnet.fi. August 27, 2011. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160113142156/http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/delbertmcclinton.htm ↩
"Delbert McClinton: Awards". AllMusic.com. November 4, 1940. Retrieved December 6, 2016. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/delbert-mcclinton-mn0000815236/awards ↩
Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research. p. 584. ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8. 978-0-89820-188-8 ↩
[1][dead link] http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/chart-search-results/singles/14048607 ↩
"Delbert McClinton: Country Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2018. https://www.billboard.com/artist/delbert-mcclinton/chart-history/csa/ ↩
"Delbert McClinton | Artist | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved August 19, 2023. https://www.grammy.com/artists/delbert-mcclinton/13060 ↩