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Blues singer of the 1950s who specialised in comic monologue numbers, Long Man

Binder was born Dennis Binder in Rosedale, MS. on Thursday, November 18, 1920
Binder's family moved first to St. Louis and
then around 1939 to Chicago where he
learned to play the piano. By 1950 he was
trying to cut it as a professional musician,
and he claims to have recorded for Chess
Records around 1951 prior to his Sun
session . He joined Ike Turner's Kings Of
Rhythm in Clarksdale around 1952, and
Turner subsequently organized Binder's
solo Sun session (which he shared with
drummer James Banister) in May 1952
which yielded the raucous "Love You Love
You Baby". Binder showed up next in
Chicago on October 1, 1953. Contracts
uncovered by local researchers led by Bob
Pruter showed Binder playing at the Heat
Wave Club, followed by another contract
with the Fiesta. Dennis Binder cut some
sides with Ike Turner for Modern Records in
1954, and in 1955 he returned to Chicago
with Guitarist Guitar Red (aka Vincent
Duling), with whom he cut a single for
United Records. The United single began
creating something of a buzz, which led to a
tour of the South - during the course of which they played at Lawton, near Wichita Falls,
Texas, where Binder finally settled. In 1958 he cut a single at Norman Petty's studio in
Clovis, New Mexico - which was released on Cottonwood - and during the early 1960s,
he worked with various locals bands. By 1971 he'd launched Dove Records to issue
Charly Pride-styled country records. From country, Binder detoured into gospel before
former ''Living Blues'' editor Jim O'Neal tempted him back into worldly music. Since then,
Binder has returned to his blues roots. His first LP was issued in 2007 on Earwig
Records, proving that it's never too late.
==
Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm
had their share of
powerhouse vocalists in the
early '50s, beginning with
Jackie Brenston--whose
1951 "Rocket 88" has often
been referred to as the very
first rock 'n' roll record--but
the name Dennis Binder has
long stirred magic amongst
devotees of the finest early
gut-bucket rock 'n' roll.
Binder points out that he was
never actually a member of
Ike's band, though some his
finest sides, namely "Early
Times,' "Nobody Wants Me,"
"She's Somethin' Else" and
"You've Got Me Way Down
Here," feature Ike's
scintillating guitar leads and
the Kings Of Rhythm blasting
away behind him. "I took my
band down to Clarksdale to
challenge Ike's band to a
duel," says the Mississippi
piano pounder. "And then I
would up recording with
them." Turner knew talent
when he saw it, and after
cutting the session, sent the
masters to Los Angeles's
Modern/ RPM imprint who issued them under the Kings Of Rhythm moniker. Dennis's
next stop was Chicago where he laid down the legendary "Long Man Blues" for the
United label before recording a bizarre version of "Crawdad Hole" with Buddy Holly in
Texas and settling in Oklahoma where he continues to reside today. At 88 years of age,
he's still known for dressing to the nines and turning in sets brimming with fiery youthful
exuberance, as he's proven at three past Ponderosa Stomp appearances. 1998, he
played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for the first time, making a very
special appearance at the Hi-Ho Lounge on Friday evening with Guitar Lightnin' Lee and
Little Freddie King.
Source: Ponderosa stomp.

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