Evelyn Young (saxophonist)

Evelyn "The Whip" Young (March 25, 1928 – October 2, 1990)[1] was an American saxophonist from Memphis, Tennessee, United States.

Career

At age 14, Young began playing saxophone professionally at Beale Street Chitlin' Circuit clubs run by Sunbeam Mitchell,[2] while still enrolled at Manassas High School. In 1952, she formed a touring band with Bill Harvey for B.B. King in 1952, which lasted for eight years.[3] From 1960 onward, she performed regularly at Mitchell's Club Handy,[4] directing a 21-piece band there, and recorded with Little Richard, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little Milton, Memphis Slim, and the Fieldstones.

Influence

Terry Johnson of the Stax session band the Mar-Keys recalls sneaking into Club Handy to hear Young play. In the documentary All Day and All Night: Memories from Beale Street Musicians, Young recalls B.B. King telling her that "everything I played on the saxophone was what he wanted to play on the guitar."[5]

After her death, Fred Ford wrote that "She was as fine a musician as you'll ever hear . . . She never got the recognition she deserved in her lifetime, but she could sure play with anyone."

Selected recordings

References
  1. "Evelyn Young : Summary". Musicminder.com. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  2. Lauterbach, Preston (July 1, 2006). "Chitlin' Circuit". Memphis Magazine. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  3. "Evelyn "The Whip" Young Hardin (Unknown-1990) -..." Findagrave.com. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
  4. "The Historic Hippodrome ... and the Clubs Handy, Ebony, Paradise, Tropicana". Historic-memphis.com. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
  5. "Watch All Day and All Night: Memories from Beale Street Musicians Online". Vimeo.com. 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
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