L.B. Lenoir was born in Mississippi in 1929. L.B. is his given name, the initials don't actually stand for anything. L.B. became famous as a bluesman who stood for something though. In his early days in New Orleans he played with the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James. Later he went to Chicago and played with more blues heavyweights, including Muddy Waters and Memphis Minnie.
L.B. became known for two things, his flamboyant style and his songwriting conscience. He wrote topical songs that touched on things like the Korean War and the civil rights movement. Some of his songs were considered too inflammatory for release in the U.S. In April of 1967 Lenoir was involved in a car accident. He apparently seemed alright, as he was released. But all was not well, as three weeks later he died of internal injuries. John Mayall wrote a couple of songs about his death in which he mispronounced his last name (it is pronounced lenore and Mayall says lenwar) which sadly seems to be L.B.'s main legacy, along with his song Mama Talk To Your Daughter. He is in the Blues Hall of Fame, and was included in Scorsese's documentary on the blues. For a man who had such a big footprint in popular music he seems to have sadly faded into the background over the years.
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