Eddie Vinson | |
|---|---|
 Vinson in May 1980. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Edward L. Vinson Jr. |
| Also known as | Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson |
| Born | December 18, 1917 Houston, Texas, United States |
| Died | July 2, 1988 (aged 70) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | Jump blues,[1] R&B,[1] jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Saxophonist, singer, composer |
| Years active | 1930s–1988 |
| Labels | King Records, Mercury, Black & Blue, ABC-BluesWay, Muse |
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter.[1] He was nicknamed "Cleanhead" after an incident in which his hair was accidentally destroyed by lye contained in a hair-straightening product, necessitating shaving it off; enamoured of the look, Vinson maintained a shaved head thereafter.[2][3] Music critic Robert Christgau has called Vinson "one of the cleanest, and nastiest, blues voices you'll ever hear."[4]
- ^ a b c Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The IllustratedEncyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
- ^ Otis, Johnny. Upside Your Head!: Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue, Wesleyan University Press, p. 34 (1993) - ISBN 0-8195-6287-4
- ^ "Vinson Eddie "Cleanhead"". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: V". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 21, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.