DELBERT
Blind, Crippled & Crazy and Still Having Fun
Delbert McClinton Reunites with Glen Clark For Their First Duet Album in 40 Years
by Michael Buffalo Smith A three-Time Grammy winner, Delbert
McClinton’s formative years were spent as a member of The Straitjackets, the house band at a blues/rhythm and blues club on the out- skirts of Ft. Worth, Texas. He was schooled by various legendary musicians who rolled through town. His band was good enough to back the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Sonny Boy Williamson and Bobby “Blue” Bland. Playing harmonica on Bruce Channel’s 1962 hit single “Hey! Baby” led to a concert tour of England. Delbert released the first album under his
own name in 1975, entitled Victim Of Life’s Circumstances. He had several excellent records after that, including 1980’s The Jeal- ous Kind (featuring the above-mentioned “Giving It Up For Your Love”). In 1989 Del- bert received a Grammy nomination in the “Contemporary Blues” category for his album Live From Austin. In 1992 he won his first Grammy for a duet with Bonnie Raitt on the song “Good Man/Good Woman” from her hit album Luck of The Draw. That same year, an-
other top ten hit followed for Delbert with “Every Time I Roll The Dice” from Never Been Rocked Enough. Over the last couple of decades, Delbert’s
songs have been featured on albums by Em- mylou Harris, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Wynonna, Lee Roy Parnell, Martina McBride and many more. Delbert's 28th album, Blind, Crippled and
Crazy, finds him reunited with his old pre- solo career partner Glen Clark for their first record as a duo since 1973. We spoke with Delbert about his career, the new record and reuniting with his old friend.
Where were you born, and who were some of the early musical influences that motivated you? I was born in Lubbock, Texas, November 4, 1940. My first musical influences were of course Bob Wills and Hank Williams, and Lefty Frizell, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Charles Brown – I’m sure I’m leavin’ a couple hundred out.
Was playing on Bruce Channel’s “Hey Baby” your first big break?
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