Joe Turner

Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American singer from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Turner's greatest fame was due to his rock-and-roll recordings in the 1950s, particularly "Shake, Rattle and Roll", but his career as a performer endured from the 1920s into the 1980s. Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, with the Hall lauding him as "the brawny voiced 'Boss of the Blues'".

Birth and Death Data: Born May 18, 1911 (Kansas City), Died November 24, 1985 (Inglewood)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1964

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist

Notes: Known as Big Joe Turner.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 31 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Role
Decca	68333	10-in.	11/11/1940	Piney Brown blues	Pete Johnson's Band ; Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	68394	10-in.	11/26/1940	Doggin' the dog	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	68395	10-in.	11/26/1940	Careless love	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	68396	10-in.	11/26/1940	Jumpin' down blues	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	68397	10-in.	11/26/1940	Rainy day blues	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	68605	10-in.	1/21/1941	Wee baby blues	Art Tatum and his Band	vocalist
Decca	68607	10-in.	1/21/1941	Last goodbye blues	Art Tatum and his Band	vocalist
Decca	68608	10-in.	1/21/1941	Battery bounce	Art Tatum and his Band	vocalist
Decca	69356	10-in.	6/13/1941	Lucille	Art Tatum and his Band	vocalist
Decca	69357	10-in.	6/13/1941	Rock me Mama	Art Tatum and his Band	vocalist
Decca	69358	10-in.	6/13/1941	Corrine, Corrina	Art Tatum and his Band	vocalist
Decca	69359	10-in.	6/13/1941	Lonesome graveyard blues	Art Tatum and his Band	vocalist
Decca	69523	10-in.	7/17/1941	Nobody in mind	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	69524	10-in.	7/17/1941	Somebody's got to go	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	69525	10-in.	7/17/1941	Ice man	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	69526	10-in.	7/17/1941	Chewed up grass	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	114499		2/6/1964	I stand accused	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	114500		2/6/1964	I walk a lonely mile	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	114757		4/6/1964	I'm packing up	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	114758		4/6/1964	Shake, rattle and roll	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	114759		4/6/1964	There'll be some tears falling	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	DLA 2738	10-in.	9/8/1941	Rocks in my bed	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	DLA 2739	10-in.	9/8/1941	Blues on Central Avenue	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	DLA 2740	10-in.	9/8/1941	Goin' to Chicago	Joe Turner	vocalist
Decca	DLA 2741	10-in.	9/8/1941	Sun risin' blues	Joe Turner	vocalist

(Results 1-25 of 31 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Turner, Joe," accessed September 29, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/210342.

Turner, Joe. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 29, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/210342.

"Turner, Joe." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 29 September 2023.