Artist
Elmore James
Elmore James is a blues artist from Richland, USA. 112 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.
Blues · Richland, USA · Best blues albums
- 112
- Releases
- 1957–2025
- Active years
Discography
107
Most popular
The Sky Is Crying
1965 · 12 tracks
Blues After Hours
1960
Shake Your Moneymaker: Best Of 1951-62
2025
Before the Storm: Where the Blues Began - Vol. 11
2025
Before the Stones: The Originals That Shaped a Revolution (1948-1962)
2025
Essential Classics, Vol. 449: Elmore James
2024
Stumbling
2023
The King of Slide Guitar - The Elmore James Collection, Vol. 1
2023
The King of Slide Guitar - The Elmore James Collection, Vol. 2
2023
Blues Before Sunrise
2023
The Blues Collective - Elmore James
2023
Memorial Album
2022
The Great Elmore James
2022
Whose Muddy Shoes
2021
Blues Paradise
2021
Pickin' the Blues
2021
His Finest Compositions
2021
Hit Collection
2021
Is it True 'Bout the Man Elmore James?
2020
Best of the Blues
2020
Sings the Blues
2020
Is it True 'Bout That Elmore James?
2020
Instinctively the Blues - Elmore James
2020
Elmore James - 50 Hot Hits
2020
Numero Uno Blues
2020
At the Cross Roads
2019
The Sky Is Crying: The Ultimate Collection
2019
Singles Collection
2019
Standing at the Crossroads Blues
2019
Pickin' The Blues: Greatest Hits Of Elmore James
2018
The Best of Elmore James, Vol. 2
2018
The Last Sessions of Elmore James
2018
Person to Person
2017
Milestones of Legends - Chicago Blues, Vol. 10
2017
The Sky Is Crying - Blues Greats
2017
The Boardwalk Empire Blues
2015
Mississippi Slide
2015
Red Hot Blues (Digitally Remastered)
2015
Dust My Broom & Other Favorites
2015
Classic Early Recordings 1951-1956 Vol. 2 Broomdusting In Chicago
2015
Dark And Dreary
2014
Big Box of Elmore James Vol. 4
2014
The Blues in My Heart, The Rhythm in My Soul
2014
Big Box of Elmore James Vol. 2
2014
Play Me the Blues...., Vol. 3
2014
Big Box of Elmore James Vol. 5
2014
Big Box of Elmore James Vol. 3
2014
Back In Mississippi
2014
Big Box of Elmore James
2013
Elmore James Classic Early Recordings 1951-1956
2013
Hand in Hand, Vol. 2
2013
Top 50 Classics - The Very Best of Elmore James
2013
Culver City to Crescent City
2013
Essential Blues Masters
2013
The Legend of Elmore James (50 Original Blues Songs)
2013
The Ultimate Elmore James Collection Vol. 1
2012
Blues
2012
The Very Best of Elmore James
2012
Hits
2012
Legendary Delta Blues
2012
Blues Guitar Masterclass Volume 1
2011
Blues Pack - Elmore James - EP
2011
Best Of The Modern Years
2011
Blues Guitar Masterclass Volume 2
2011
It Hurts Me Too - The Legendary Elmore James
2011
Elmore James Selected Favorites
2011
American Roots Music
2011
Dust My Broom
2011
Slide and Pick
2011
The Sky Cries Elmore
2011
Blues Masterclass, Vol. 1
2010
Classic Years - Elmore James
2010
The Best of Elmore James
2010
Nothin' But The Blues
2010
Blues At Heart
2010
Elmore's Blues
2010
The Very Best Of
2010
Abc of the Blues Vol. 19
2010
Blues Kingpins
2010
King Of The Slide Guitar - Disc Two
2009
Saga Blues: Slide My Blues
2009
King Of The Slide Guitar - Disc Three
2009
Standing At The Crossroads & Other Favorites (Digitally Remastered)
2009
1951-1953
2008
Kickin' The Blues Around, Vol. 2
2008
Shake Your Moneymaker: The Best of the Fire Sessions
2007
History Of Elmore James
2007
Genius Blues
2007
Rollin' And Tumblin'
2006
Standing At The Crossroads
2006
Elmore James' The Sky Is Crying
2006
Elmore James Selected Hits
2006
Come Go With Me
2006
The Fire & Fury Story
2005
Shake Your Money Maker: The Best Of The Fire Sessions
2001
Elmore James Blues Legends
1999
The Complete Fire and Enjoy Recordings
1995
The Sky is Crying: The History of Elmore James
1993
King of the Slide Guitar
1992
Let's Cut It: The Very Best of Elmore James
1987
Street Talkin'
1975
All Them Blues
1971
I Need You
1966
The Complete Fire & Enjoy Sessions, Pt. 2
1962
Complete Fire & Enjoy Sessions, Pt. 4
1962
The Complete Fire & Enjoy Sessions, Pt. 1
1962
The Complete Fire & Enjoy Sessions, Pt. 3
1962
Popular tracks
Trending this week
Singles & EPs
5
Appears on
1Releases by other artists featuring Elmore James.
Featured tracks
10
Junior's WailJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town- Tomorrow NightJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
- Ways Like An AngelJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
- Eagle RockJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
- Please Throw This Poor Dog A BoneJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
- Blues Hit Big TownJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
- Lord LordJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
- 'Bout The Break Of DayJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
- So All AloneJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
- Please Throw This Dog A BoneJunior Wells · Blues Hit Big Town
Collaborators
1
Community
More about Elmore James
About
James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in Holmes County, Mississippi (not to be confused with two other locations of the same name in Mississippi). He was the illegitimate son of 15-year-old Leola Brooks, a field hand. His father was probably Joe Willie "Frost" James, who moved in with Leola, and so Elmore took this as his name. His parents adopted an orphaned boy at some point named Robert Holston. Elmore began making music at the age of 12 using a simple one-string instrument ("diddley bow" or "jitterbug") strung up on a shack wall. As a teen he was playing at local dances under the names Cleanhead and Joe Willie James. His first marriage, circa 1942, was to Minnie Mae (maiden name unknown? and whom he apparently never divorced). He subsequently married twice more, to Georgianna Crump in 1947 and to a woman called Janice circa 1954. (Another reported marriage of Elmore to a Josephine Harris has been found to be a mistaken record of a different Elmore James.)
Read moreRead less
James (like many other musicians) was strongly influenced by Robert Johnson, as well as by Kokomo Arnold and Tampa Red. James recorded several of Tampa's songs, and even inherited from his band two of his famous "Broomdusters", "Little" Johnny Jones (piano) and Odie Payne (drums). There is a dispute as to whether Robert Johnson or Elmore wrote James' trademark song, "Dust My Broom". During World War II James joined the United States Navy, was promoted to coxswain and took part in the invasion of Guam against the Japanese. Upon his discharge, James returned to central Mississippi and eventually settled in Canton with his adopted brother Robert Holston; it was at this time he learned that he had a serious heart condition. Working in Robert's electrical shop, he devised his unique electric sound, using parts from the shop and an unusual placement of two D'Armond pickups. He began recording with Trumpet Records in nearby Jackson in January 1951, first as sideman to the second Sonny Boy Williamson and also to their mutual friend Wille Love and possibly others, then debuting as a session leader in August with "Dust My Broom". It was a surprise R&B hit in 1952 and turned James into a star. He then broke his recording contract with Trumpet Records to sign up with the Bihari Brothers through their "scout" Ike Turner (who played guitar and piano on a couple of his early Bihari recordings). His "I Believe" was another hit a year later. During the 1950s he recorded for the Bihari brothers' Flair Records, Meteor Records and Modern Records labels, as well as for Chess Records and Mel London's Chief Records (his "It Hurts Me Too" was later a hit when he re-recorded it for Enjoy Records). His backing musicians were known as the Broomdusters. In 1959 he began recording for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records label. These include "The Sky Is Crying" (credited to Elmo James and His Broomdusters), "My Bleeding Heart", "Stranger Blues", "Look on Yonder Wall", "Done Somebody Wrong", and "Shake Your Moneymaker", all of which are among the most famous of blues recordings. An important side to Elmore's character was his lifelong taste for, and manufacture of, moonshine whiskey, to which he was introduced at an early age. Alcohol killed his band-mates/friends Willie Love & Johnny Jones at an early age. His regular rhythm guitarist Homesick James maintained his longevity was due to his not partaking of the heavy drinking sessions after - and often during - gigs, a refusal that was unpopular with the rest of the band. Elmore was also reportedly an extremely fast driver and loved hunting with guns and dogs down in Mississippi, whence he would head off for protracted periods. James died of his third heart attack in Chicago in 1963, just prior to a tour of Europe with that year's American Folk Blues Festival. He was buried in the Newport Baptist Church Cemetery in Ebenezer, Mississippi.
Elmore James in brief
- How many Elmore James releases are on Riffiter?
- 112 releases are catalogued, spanning 1957 to 2025.
- What genre is Elmore James?
- Elmore James is catalogued under Blues.
- What is the most recent Elmore James release on Riffiter?
- Shake Your Moneymaker: Best Of 1951-62, released in 2025.