Milwaukee Slim Day

b. Angelo Chambers, 2 July 1924, Denton, Texas, USA, d. 7 June 1993, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. While living in Dallas, Chambers worked for a while as a waiter at a blues club where he also acted as emcee and developed an engaging stage presence. Later, he appeared regularly at blues clubs in many Midwestern cities. His day job was a bus driver but whenever the opportunity arose he would be on stage, singing, occasionally playing drums, and introducing other acts with considerable panache. Although he lived in several other cities, he eventually settled in St. Paul, Minnesota. There, he led his own band, the Blue Birds, and also worked with a band led by Harmonica Tom Schafer. In 1991 he recorded the single, ‘Mean And Evil Woman’, which became a local hit, as did the b-side, ‘Cleo’. These tracks appeared on his sole album, which was completed not long before his death. A cassette was prepared for a launch, which Milwaukee Slim was able to attend even though he was failing in health. The album itself was released two years later and included ‘Standing On The Outside Crying’, ‘Sweet Little Angel’, ‘You Got Me Thinkin’’, ‘I’m A Legend’, ‘Double Trouble Blues’, ‘Mean And Evil Woman’, and ‘Mean Old World’, as well as his hit singles.

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