March 13, 2014

He spent his musical career as a flamboyant blues guitarist who influenced the likes of Jimi Hendrix with his wild stage antics. He also helped launch Otis Redding's career when he hired Redding to sing in his band, the Pinetoppers. Since Jenkins didn't have a driver's license, he also employed Otis as his own personal driver. Eventually Redding's career took off and it took Jenkins' manager, Phil Walden, with it. Walden would again turn his attention to Jenkins after Redding's death in 1967, prompting Jenkins to start recording his own material. This particular tune is a Dr. John cover, but given a bluesier twist thanks to Duane Allman's slide guitar contributions on the song. The recording is also famous for its drum beat, which was sampled by Beck on "Loser." So you could say that Jenkins was a pretty big influence on a lot of musicians, both contemporaries and younger artists alike.

Know any musicians with great stage presence?

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