Cash McCall (musician)

McCall was born in New Madrid, Missouri. He joined the United States Army and then settled in Chicago, where he had lived for a period as a child. In 1964, he played guitar and sang, alongside Otis Clay, with the Gospel Songbirds, who recorded for Excello Records. Cash later joined another gospel singing ensemble, the Pilgrim Jubilee Singers.

Billed under his birth name, his debut solo single release was "Earth Worm" (1963). Three years later he co-wrote "When You Wake Up" with the record producer Monk Higgins. His initial soul-styled demo was issued by Thomas Records, which billed him as Cash McCall.{{cite book

| first= Robert

| last= Pruter

| year= 1991

| title= Chicago Soul

| edition=

| publisher= University of Illinois Press

| location= Urbana and Chicago

| isbn= 0-252-06259-0

| page= 167}} ("Cash McCall" had been a 1955 novel by Cameron Hawley which spawned a 1960 movie starring James Garner as Cash McCall, released six years before the record company changed Dollison's name). The song reached number 19 on the US Billboard R&B chart.{{cite web|author=Dahl, Bill |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cash-mccall-mn0000191345/awards |title=Cash McCall: Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date= |access-date=2014-01-26}} This led to McCall touring with Lou Christie and Mitch Ryder in Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars. However, subsequent releases for both Thomas and Checker Records failed to chart. These included the song "It's Wonderful to Be in Love".{{cite web|url=http://www.cashmccall.com/cash-mccall/its-wonderful-to-be-in-love-cash-mccall-thomas-1966 |title='It's Wonderful to Be in Love', Cash McCall (Thomas 1966) |publisher=CashMcCall.com |date=2010-02-18 |access-date=2014-01-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314113042/http://www.cashmccall.com/cash-mccall/its-wonderful-to-be-in-love-cash-mccall-thomas-1966 |archive-date=2012-03-14 }} In 1967, McCall co-wrote "That's How It Is (When You're in Love)", a Top 30 R&B hit for Otis Clay.{{cite book

| first= Robert

| last= Pruter

| year= 1991

| title= Chicago Soul

| edition=

| publisher= University of Illinois Press

| location= Urbana and Chicago

| isbn= 0-252-06259-0

| page= 221}}{{cite web|author=Dahl, Bill |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/otis-clay-mn0000894531/awards |title=Otis Clay: Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date= |access-date=2014-01-26}}

Under the tutelage of Willie Dixon, McCall went on to become a session musician and songwriter for Chess Records. In the late 1960s, McCall, along with Jimmy Dawkins and Johnny Twist, played guitar on some early recordings by George "Wild Child" Butler.{{cite book

| first= Tony

| last= Russell

| year= 1997

| title= The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray

| edition=

| publisher= Carlton Books

| location= Dubai

| isbn= 1-85868-255-X

| page= 97}}

McCall gravitated towards the blues in the 1970s. He recorded the album Omega Man (1973) before relocating to Los Angeles in 1976. He recorded the album No More Doggin', released in 1983. In 1985, McCall and his band appeared at the Long Beach Blues Festival. In 1987, Stony Plain Records released the album Cash Up Front. The collection included accompaniment by such notables such Nathan East and Welton Gite (bass); Chuck Findley (flugelhorn, trumpet); Les McCann and Richard Tee (piano); Phil Upchurch (rhythm guitar); and Hank Cicalo (sound engineer) and Bernie Grundman (mastering).{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/cash-up-front-mw0000864844/credits |title=Cash McCall, Cash up Front: Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date= |access-date=2014-01-26}}

McCall co-produced Willie Dixon's Grammy Award–winning Hidden Charms (1988) and played in Dixon's All-Stars band, after which he toured as a solo artist and appeared with the Chicago Rhythm and Blues Kings, for which he wrote several songs. He also provided backing to the singer known as Big Twist and performed in the Chicago Blues Review.{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=cash-mccall-p446/biography|pure_url=yes}} |title=Cash McCall |author=Dahl, Bill |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 31, 2010}} McCall's songs have been recorded by the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Mighty Reapers, Margie Evans, Tyrone Davis and Mitty Collier.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cash-mccall-mn0000191345/songs |title=Cash McCall: Songs |publisher=AllMusic |date= |access-date=2014-01-26}}

In 2018, McCall and longtime friend and fellow Chicago musician Benny Turner reunited in the studio to record Going Back Home.{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Going-Back-Benny-Turner-McCall/dp/B07LD4Z2S8/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3CALUAMRMMBGG&keywords=going+back+home&qid=1556039096&s=gateway&sprefix=meg+williams%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-3|title=Going Back Home|website=Amazon.com|access-date=2019-09-08}} It was released in January 2019. Just months later, on April 20, 2019, McCall died from lung cancer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/nolablueinc/photos/a.886421224755372/2342273502503463/?type=3&theater|title=Nola Blue Records on Facebook|website=Facebook.com|access-date=2019-09-08}}

• 17th Independent Music Awards – Nominee for Blues Album – Going Back Home{{Cite web|url=https://independentmusicawards.com/17th-independent-music-awards-nominees/|title=The 17th Independent Music Awards Nominees & Winners|website=Independent Music Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-01}}
• 2019 Blues Blast Music Awards – Nominee for Traditional Blues Album – Going Back Home{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebbmas.com/2019-nominees/|title=2019 Nominees {{!}} The 2019 Blues Blast Music Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-01}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• 2019 Independent Blues Awards – Nominee for Best Traditional Blues CD – Going Back Home{{Cite web|url=https://www.makingascene.org/2019-independent-blues-awards/|title=2019 Independent Blues Awards!|date=2019-09-03|website=Making A Scene!|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-01}}
• 18th Independent Music Awards – Nominee for Blues Song – "One Who's Got a Lot"{{Cite web|url=https://independentmusicawards.com/blog/2020/04/09/the-18th-independent-music-awards-nominees-announced/|title=Independent Music Awards|last=|first=|date=|website=|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421134202/https://independentmusicawards.com/blog/2020/04/09/the-18th-independent-music-awards-nominees-announced/ |archive-date=2020-04-21 |access-date=}}

{{expand section|date=January 2013}}

With Dorothy Ashby

• The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby (Cadet, 1970){{cite web|author=Thom Jurek |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-rubaiyat-of-dorothy-ashby-mw0000583622 |title=The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby – Dorothy Ashby | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date= |access-date=2014-05-14}}

With Howlin' Wolf

• Message to the Young (Chess, 1971) – producer, arranger and conductor

With Jack McDuff

• Gin and Orange (Cadet, 1969){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/gin-and-orange-mw0000805051/credits |title=Gin and Orange – Jack McDuff | Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date= |access-date=2014-05-14}}

With Phil Upchurch

• The Way I Feel (Cadet, 1970){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-way-i-feel-mw0000907495/credits |title=The Way I Feel – Phil Upchurch | Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date= |access-date=2014-05-14}}

• List of electric blues musicians

{{Reflist}}

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Category:1941 births

Category:2019 deaths

Category:People from New Madrid, Missouri

Category:American blues singers

Category:American blues guitarists

Category:American male guitarists

Category:American male singers

Category:Songwriters from Missouri

Category:Electric blues musicians

Category:Singers from Chicago

Category:Singers from Missouri

Category:Songwriters from Illinois

Category:Guitarists from Chicago

Category:Guitarists from Missouri

Category:20th-century American guitarists

Category:20th-century American male musicians

Category:American male songwriters