Article Reprint from the May 1999 BluesNotes
When it comes to piano players, it is really hard to compare any city with New Orleans for the sheer number and talent that it has produced. During the first part of the 20th century, these musicians ruled supreme in the sporting houses of Storyville, the city's notorious and dangerous red light district. Players like Tony Jackson ("Pretty Baby") and Jelly Roll Morton ("Winin' Boy") were the local all-stars and forefathers of a long and distinguished line of pianists. They were followed by Kid Stormy Weather, Sullivan Rock, Tuts Washington, Professor Longhair, Robert Bertrand, James Booker and far too many more to mention. Perhaps one of the greatest of all the city's favorite ivory ticklers, was the incomparable Champion Jack Dupree, although he really didn't spend much of his life in the Crescent City. Seeking an escape from a racist society, Dupree left New Orleans, first to the cities of the North and then abroad to Europe, only to return to his hometown in the twilight of his life to much fanfare and acceptance.
William Thomas Dupree was born on July 4, 1910 in New Orleans. While still an infant, his parents were killed in a house fire that had been set by the Ku Klux Klan and Dupree was sent to the city's Colored Waifs Home for Boys, the same orphanage where a young Louis Armstrong had also been raised. He left the orphanage at the age of 14 and quickly learned the ways of the street, subsidizing his living by gambling and hustling. He was also introduced to boxing during this time in a gym located on Rampart Street. But, it was at the boys house that Dupree was first exposed to the piano by an Italian priest. He expanded his learning on the instrument under the tutelage of boogie pianist Drive 'Em Down (Willie Hall) in the speakeasies and brothels. He met another young pianist during this period by the name of Roy Byrd (later known as Professor Longhair) with whom he made an agreement to teach him how to sing in exchange for further lessons on the piano.
Although he kept several ties with New Orleans, racial tensions found Dupree moving North permanently around 1930, settling in a number of different cities over the years: Detroit, Indianapolis and Chicago. While in Detroit, he was introduced to boxing legend Joe Louis, who rekindled the young man's interest in the sport and helped Dupree work his way into the ring. During his time as a boxer, Dupree fought in 107 bouts and even won the lightweight championship in Indiana. It also earned him the nickname of Champion Jack in the process.
By 1940, he had enough of boxing and turned back to the piano. He had been supplementing his income all along by playing part-time and his talent had earned him a reputation as a boogie master in the Midwest. Dupree had also attracted the attention of the renowned Blues producer, Lester Melrose, and began to record for the Okeh label. But, in 1942, Dupree was drafted into the service and was sent to the Pacific front where he worked as a cook in the Navy. He was eventually captured by the Japanese and spent two years as a prisoner of war.
After the war, he moved to New York, where he once again sought a career as a musician. He found a great deal of luck there, recording for no less than 21 different labels that included, Savoy, King and Atlantic. Much like guitarist John Lee Hooker, Dupree did not care so much for contractual obligations and recorded under a number of different monikers. Among these aliases were Meat Head Johnson, Lightnin' Jr. and Brother Blues. He even scored a hit in 1955 on a duet he made with Teddy McRae called "Walking The Blues" that spent 11 weeks on the R&B charts (his only entry onto the charts during his career). Another performer that he often found himself accompanying during this period was guitarist Brownie McGhee. In 1958, he recorded what is considered by many to be his masterpiece, "Blues From The Gutter". This album recanted tales of prostitution, drug use and the shadier side of life altogether and included classics like "T.B. Blues" and "Junker's Blues" (the latter a common theme covered by many pianists, most notably Professor Longhair, retitled as "Tipitina", Fats Domino's first hit, "The Fat Man", and even Lloyd Price's, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy").
Still, it seemed that Dupree could not escape from the prejudice and racism anywhere he settled in the United States. Finally in late 1958, he decided to move to Europe. Over the next 32 years, he lived in a number of locales in Switzerland, France, England, Denmark and Germany. He also recorded a multitude of wonderful albums during this time for a long list of European labels. Among these is the outstanding live recording, "Blues at Montreaux" on Atco that also featured sax great, King Curtis.
In 1990, Champion Jack Dupree was talked into returning to the United States and his hometown to make an appearance at the famed New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It was his first visit to the city since 1954 and he was simply the sensation of the event. He agreed to stay long enough to record the critically acclaimed album, "Back Home In New Orleans", backed by an all-star lineup of Crescent City greats and produced by Ron Levy. The recording showed to an American audience that even at the age of 79, Dupree still had the powerful vocals and stunning barrelhouse piano talent that so many had forgotten over the years. Dupree made an encore performance at JazzFest in 1991 and also played the Chicago Blues Festival that same year. He returned to the Studio one more time, where he laid down the tracks for what eventually became his final releases, "Forever & Ever"and "One Last Time".
Champion Jack returned to his home in Hanover, Germany, where he died from complications of cancer on January 21, 1992. As one of the most prolific recording Bluesmen of all time, he left a large catalog of material. Champion Jack Dupree was posthumously honored by the Blues Foundation, receiving election into their Hall of Fame, along with "Blues
From The Gutter" being selected as an entry as a "Classic of Blues" recording (Albums).
Dupree was a fun-loving man despite the themes of his music and was known to occasionally get up and dance while introducing his numbers. He found success in a multitude of professions throughout his life: musician, boxer, cook and even as a painter towards the end. Champion Jack Dupree was certainly a renaissance man for the ages.
© 1999 Cascade Blues Association
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