Melvin Jackson

Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson (August 16, 1915, Tyler, Texas – May 30, 1976, Dallas^[1]) was an American blues guitarist and singer. He was a contemporary of Lightnin' Hopkins.^[2]

Jackson's mother played gospel guitar, and he played early on in a gospel group, the Blue Eagle Four.^[1] He became a mechanic and served in the U.S. Army during World War II, after which he pursued a career as a blues musician.^[1] He recorded a demo and sent it to Bill Quinn, the owner of Gold Star Records, in 1946.^[2] Quinn signed him to a recording contract and released "Freedom Train Blues" in 1948, which became a nationwide hit in the U.S.^[1] Jackson recorded for Imperial Records between 1950 and 1954, both as a solo artist and with a backing band.^[1] His 1950 song "Rockin' and Rollin" was recast by later musicians as "Rock Me Baby".^[1][3] In 1951, Quinn shuttered the Gold Star label and sold or leased his catalogue of master recordings to other labels, with Modern Records buying 32 unreleased Jackson and Lightnin' Hopkins masters for $2,500.^[4]

Jackson was injured in a car crash in the mid-1950s and gave up his music career, returning to work as a mechanic.^[2] He recorded an album for Arhoolie Records in 1960, but did not resume his career as a musician during the blues revival in the 1960s.^[2] He died of cancer in 1976 in Dallas, at the age of 60.^[1] Eric Clapton recorded Jackson's "Travelin' Alone", for his 2010 album, Clapton.^[5]