Welcome To The Club: The Little Milton Story

 After an almost five-decade career, the 66-year-old singer/guitarist consistently delivers his unique sound based somewhere between B.B. King’s urban blues and Bobby "Blue" Bland’s soulful blues. Throughout the course of his lengthy career Little Milton has landed at such well known labels as Sun, Chess, Stax and Malaco laying down numerous hits and many songs which have become blues standards. Despite world-wide fame he has still retains a close connection to the black community where his records still sell consistently well.

 Little Milton was born Milton Campbell in Inverness, Mississippi, in 1934. He taught himself how to play the guitar by listening to the radio, including the Grand Ole Oprey, and to local bluesmen performing at Delta picnics and house parties. By his teens, he was performing in local Clubs and Bars across the Delta.

 After recording a number of sides at Sun with little success, Milton moved to East St. Louis’ Bobbin Records. He also became Bobbin’s A&R chief. During this era, Milton signed such artists as Albert King and Fontella Bass to the label. Most importantly, he cut his own first hit, "I’m A Lonely Man", in 1958.

 Milton’s skyrocketing success soon drew the attention of Chess Records executives in Chicago, who signed him to Chess' Checker label in 1961. Milton’s recordings saw only moderate chart success, until he cut "We’re Gonna Make It", which hit No. 1 on Billboard's R&B singles chart in 1965. He scored hits from 1962 through 1971 with songs like "Baby I Love You", "If Walls Could Talk", "Feel So Bad", "Who’s Cheating Who?" and "Grits Ain’t Groceries." After the death of label founder Leonard Chess in 1969, the company eventually dissolved and Milton signed with Stax.

 Milton's stint at Stax lasted from 1971 through 1975 where he stacked up more hits such as "Walking The Back Streets And Cryin" and "That’s What Love Will Make You Do." After Stax folded in 1975 he cut records for Glades and MCA before landing at his current label, Malaco, in 1984.

 Since 1984 Milton has cut fourteen records for Malaco including Feel It his latest released in early 2001. Some of Little Milton’s more well known Malaco cuts include "Annie Mae’s Café", "The Blues is Alright", and "Room 244."

 Little Milton's albums still sell well and epitomize the modern soul-blues sound. He continues to perform regularly, mostly in the South.

Essential Listening

The Sun Masters (Rounder): 15 prime cuts recorded at Sun studios between 1953-1954. Very different from his later recordings. Milton's guitar is raw and wild on these early sides.

Welcome To The Club: The Essential Chess Recordings (MCA): Two disc set covering his successful stint at Chess in the 60's. These are the sides that made Milton a star. Includes classics like "If Walls Could Talk", "Feel So Bad", "Who’s Cheating Who?", "We're Gonna Make It", "Blind Man" and many others.

Tin Pan Alley (Stax): Excellent soul/blues set from the mid-70's.

Walkin' The Back Streets (Stax): Another stellar outing from Milton's Stax period.

Back To Back (Malaco): One of his best Malaco dates from 1988. The CD contains a few blues gems like "Penitentiary Blues" and "It's Hard to Explain" but R&B is dominant with great tunes like "(I Had) Too Much Heaven Last Night," "Caught in the Act (Of Gettin' It On)" and "I Was Tryin' Not Break Down."