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:''This article is about the blues musician. For others with similar names, see [[Sam Frazier]].''
:''This article is about the blues musician. For others with similar names, see [[Sam Frazier]].''
'''Sam Frazier, Jr.''' (born [[August 12]], [[1944]] in [[Edgewater]]) is a blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player.
[[Image:Sam Frazier Jr.jpg|right|thumb|Sam Frazier Jr]]
'''Sam Frazier Jr''' (born [[August 12]], [[1943]] in [[Edgewater]]; died [[March 23]], [[2021]] in [[Jefferson County]]) was a blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player.


Frazier was one of six siblings born to [[Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company|TCI]] coal miner [[Sam Frazier (miner)|Sam Frazier]] and his wife, Terretta in the mining town of Edgewater in western [[Jefferson County]]. His mother earned extra money for the family by hosting Friday night barbecues and operating a shot house from the family's small home. Itinerant musicians often entertained at the weekend barbecues, including legendary bluesmen Sonny Boy Williamson and Jimmy Reed.
Frazier was one of six siblings born to [[Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company|TCI]] coal miner [[Sam Frazier (miner)|Sam Frazier]] and his wife, Terretta in the mining town of Edgewater in western [[Jefferson County]]. His mother earned extra money for the family by hosting Friday night barbecues and operating a shot house from the family's small home. Itinerant musicians often entertained at the weekend barbecues, including legendary bluesmen Sonny Boy Williamson and Jimmy Reed.
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Frazier also led a three-piece combo which often played American Legion halls and Disabled Veterans functions. He took a day job at a local auto dealership, and through his connections there, earned an audition for [[Country Boy Eddie|"Country Boy" Eddie Burns]]. Burns added him to his touring group which played store openings and other regional events. He also encouraged Frazier to follow Charley Pride into performing country music. He became a regular guest on the [[Country Boy Eddie Show]] on [[WBRC]]. After winning a talent contest at [[Sonny Duke's Night Club]], Frazier accepted a regular booking there, which lasted for five years.
Frazier also led a three-piece combo which often played American Legion halls and Disabled Veterans functions. He took a day job at a local auto dealership, and through his connections there, earned an audition for [[Country Boy Eddie|"Country Boy" Eddie Burns]]. Burns added him to his touring group which played store openings and other regional events. He also encouraged Frazier to follow Charley Pride into performing country music. He became a regular guest on the [[Country Boy Eddie Show]] on [[WBRC]]. After winning a talent contest at [[Sonny Duke's Night Club]], Frazier accepted a regular booking there, which lasted for five years.


Joe Mitchell of Missile Records heard Frazier at the club, and signed him on to record twelve songs in Nashville. The single "Cabbage Man" was the most successful single of the session.
Joe Mitchell of Missile Records heard Frazier at the club, and signed him on to record twelve songs in Nashville. The single "Cabbage Man" was the most successful single of the session. In [[1970]] Frazier recorded another group of songs on [[Neal Hemphill]]'s [[Birmingham]]-based [[Goodie Train]] label. He returned to Nashville in [[1974]] to audition for the syndicated television program "You Can Be a Star". He won the first round of competition with his performance of "An Old Chunk of Coal", but did not advance beyond the second episode.


==== The 1970's ====
While in Nashville, Frazier performed at "Fan Fare" and, after being spotted by another talent agent, was hired to sing at Gilley's Supper Club in Pasadena, Texas. He returned to Birmingham in [[1987]] and recorded a session of blues tracks at Hemphill's [[Sound of Birmingham]] studio with producer [[Don Mosley]]. The resulting album was distributed by Torrence, California's Blue Rock Records. Frazier moved to California to support the album, and also performed with the Johnny Otis Revue.
In 1970, Sam recorded several songs that were released on [http://bhamwiki.com/w/Neal_Hemphill Neal Hemphill's] Goodie Train record label out of Birmingham, Alabama.  Although Sam was not signed as an exclusive artist to that label, Goodie Train released “Take Me Back”, "Set Me Free”, "I've Been Hurt”, “Don't Spread Your Love Around”, “Momma Said She Ain't Here”, “Drippin' Honey”, and “I Don't Want Another Love”. In 1974 Sam went to Nashville and auditioned to appear on the nationally syndicated TV show, “You Can Be A Star”. He was selected to perform and Sam won the first round of competition singing the song “An Old Chunk of Coal”. The level of competition was rather stiff. Another contestant on the show was [[Alan Jackson]]. Sam appeared on two of the shows and the show was primarily a country music show.


==== The 1980's ====
On a return visit to Birmingham, Frazier met Fred Sollie of Pensacola, Florida's Sollie Sunshine label and signed a two-year contract. He and Sollie collaborated on eight songs, including "Forty Acres of Hillside Mountain Land", which reached number 1 on the independent records charts in [[1991]]. Another single, "Momma Kept the Lamp Light Burning" was picked up on international radio playlists.
While in Nashville, Sam also appeared at “Fan Fare”. Sam was spotted by a talent agent who booked him to appear at [[Gilley's Club|Gilley's Supper Club]] in [[Pasadena, Texas]]. Also on the venue at Gilley's was [[Gene Watson]], a legendary country artist. Sam's first big foray in the blues arena came in 1987. Sam booked a session at [http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Sound_of_Birmingham Sound of Birmingham] recording studios in Birmingham, AL and over a six month period, he and studio owner/producer Don Mosley finished an entire album which was released on the [[Blue Rock Records|“Blue Rock”]] label out of  Torrence, California. In support of that release, Sam moved to California and appeared on showcases around the state. While in California, Sam also performed with legendary blues artist [[Johnny Otis]] in “The Johnny Otis Revue”.


==== The 1990's ====
During the 2000s, Frazier performed in Las Vegas, Nevada with tribute artist Gilbert Gauthier. He returned to Birmingham in [[2006]] to be with family. He worked with Mosley and [[Les Alexander]] at Sound of Birmingham for a CD, ''Long Lonesome Blues'', issued on [[Transmedia Music]] in [[2012]]. Frazier was inducted into the [[Birmingham Record Collectors]]' [[Birmingham Record Collectors Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] in [[2016]].
On a return visit to Birmingham, Sam met record producer Fred Sollie, the owner of an independent record label, Sollie Sunshine Records. Fred signed Sam to a two year contract. Over that period of time, Fred and Sam co-wrote eight songs. Out of that collaboration came the song “Forty Acres of Hillside Mountain Land” which was released in 1991 and became a No.1 hit on the independent record charts. The second release, “Momma Kept The Lamp Light Burning”, received international airplay and can be found on radio station play lists as far away as Australia. Also released was “A Road Walked By Fools”, “Crying Melody” and “Leaving You Would Be A Sin”.


==== 2000's and later ====
Frazier was hospitalized for treatment of diabetes and a lung infection. He died in March [[2021]] and is buried at [[Carver Memorial Gardens]] in [[Minor]].
Sam appeared for a number of years with tribute artist Gilbert Gauthier in [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]. Gilbert would perform tribute shows to [[Neil Diamond]] and [[Frank Sinatra]]. Sam, however, always appeared as himself. In 2006, Sam moved back to Birmingham to attend to family matters. Shortly after his return, his older sister and younger brother died. Since that time, Sam has been working steadily on a new blues project with producers Don Mosley and Les Alexander at Sound of Birmingham Studios in Birmingham, AL. The cd is scheduled to be released internationally in the first quarter of 2012 on the Transmedia Music label; also in Birmingham, AL.


== References ==
== References ==
* Mosley, Don (July 25, 2011) "[http://alabamamusicoffice.com/artists-a-z/f/2672-frazier-sam-jr Sam Frazier, Jr.]. Transmedia Music
* Mosley, Don (July 25, 2011) "[http://alabamamusicoffice.com/artists-a-z/f/2672-frazier-sam-jr Sam Frazier, Jr.]. Transmedia Music
* "[http://bhamwiki.com/w/The_Birmingham_Sound The Birmingham Sound]" (August 28, 2009) ''Bhamwiki''
* "Mr. Sam "Cabbage Man" Frazier, Jr." obituary (March 2021)  


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://www.facebook.com/samfrazierjrblues?v=info Sam Frazier, Jr.] on Facebook.com
* [http://www.facebook.com/samfrazierjrblues?v=info Sam Frazier Jr.] on Facebook.com
* [http://www.birminghamrecord.com/brc/hall_of_fame/sam-frazier-jr/ Sam Frazier, Jr.] at birminghamrecord.com
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVnaGVwfFJo Sam Frazier - There You Go Running Down My Cheek Again] (1987, The Country Boy Eddie Show) on YouTube.com
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVnaGVwfFJo Sam Frazier - There You Go Running Down My Cheek Again] (1987, The Country Boy Eddie Show) on YouTube.com
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sagZNCjKE7Q Sam Frazier - Mr. Wrong] (1987, The Country Boy Eddie Show) on YouTube.com
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sagZNCjKE7Q Sam Frazier - Mr. Wrong] (1987, The Country Boy Eddie Show) on YouTube.com
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/225210335/sam-frazier Sam Frazier Jr] at Findagrave.com


{{DEFAULTSORT:Frazier, Sam}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frazier, Sam}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category: 1943 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category: 2021 deaths]]
[[Category:American blues musicians]]
[[Category: Blues musicians]]
[[Category: Country singers]]
[[Category: Songwriters]]
[[Category: Reality show contestants]]
[[Category: Carver Memorial burials]]
[[Category: Birmingham Record Collectors Hall of Fame]]
[[Category: Alabama Blues Hall of Fame]]

Latest revision as of 16:17, 2 April 2024

This article is about the blues musician. For others with similar names, see Sam Frazier.
Sam Frazier Jr

Sam Frazier Jr (born August 12, 1943 in Edgewater; died March 23, 2021 in Jefferson County) was a blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player.

Frazier was one of six siblings born to TCI coal miner Sam Frazier and his wife, Terretta in the mining town of Edgewater in western Jefferson County. His mother earned extra money for the family by hosting Friday night barbecues and operating a shot house from the family's small home. Itinerant musicians often entertained at the weekend barbecues, including legendary bluesmen Sonny Boy Williamson and Jimmy Reed.

According to Frazier, it was Williamson who presented him with his first harmonica, and a few brief lessons in playing blues music. After finishing 9th grade at Edgewater Elementary School, Frazier went to Westfield High School. At 17, he moved in with his uncle, Willie Perry on a farm near the Marengo County seat of Linden. He completed high school at Linden Academy while working on the farm and part time at a local restaurant.

Through a co-worker at the restaurant, Frazier hooked up with a blues band and moved back to Birmingham. He soon shed the group and began taking bookings as a one-man act, accompanying himself on guitar, harmonica and a two-piece drum kit. His sister joined him as a bassist and their act caught the ear of local DJ Maurice "The Thin Man" King. He arranged an audition with a talent agent, who took the Fraziers to New York City to record a single entitled "You Got Me Uptight", which was moderately successful on radio. The Fraziers performed in New York at the Sonia Ballroom for a while, before Sam moved back to Birmingham and joined the gospel quartet the Golden Hummingbirds.

Frazier also led a three-piece combo which often played American Legion halls and Disabled Veterans functions. He took a day job at a local auto dealership, and through his connections there, earned an audition for "Country Boy" Eddie Burns. Burns added him to his touring group which played store openings and other regional events. He also encouraged Frazier to follow Charley Pride into performing country music. He became a regular guest on the Country Boy Eddie Show on WBRC. After winning a talent contest at Sonny Duke's Night Club, Frazier accepted a regular booking there, which lasted for five years.

Joe Mitchell of Missile Records heard Frazier at the club, and signed him on to record twelve songs in Nashville. The single "Cabbage Man" was the most successful single of the session. In 1970 Frazier recorded another group of songs on Neal Hemphill's Birmingham-based Goodie Train label. He returned to Nashville in 1974 to audition for the syndicated television program "You Can Be a Star". He won the first round of competition with his performance of "An Old Chunk of Coal", but did not advance beyond the second episode.

While in Nashville, Frazier performed at "Fan Fare" and, after being spotted by another talent agent, was hired to sing at Gilley's Supper Club in Pasadena, Texas. He returned to Birmingham in 1987 and recorded a session of blues tracks at Hemphill's Sound of Birmingham studio with producer Don Mosley. The resulting album was distributed by Torrence, California's Blue Rock Records. Frazier moved to California to support the album, and also performed with the Johnny Otis Revue.

On a return visit to Birmingham, Frazier met Fred Sollie of Pensacola, Florida's Sollie Sunshine label and signed a two-year contract. He and Sollie collaborated on eight songs, including "Forty Acres of Hillside Mountain Land", which reached number 1 on the independent records charts in 1991. Another single, "Momma Kept the Lamp Light Burning" was picked up on international radio playlists.

During the 2000s, Frazier performed in Las Vegas, Nevada with tribute artist Gilbert Gauthier. He returned to Birmingham in 2006 to be with family. He worked with Mosley and Les Alexander at Sound of Birmingham for a CD, Long Lonesome Blues, issued on Transmedia Music in 2012. Frazier was inducted into the Birmingham Record Collectors' Hall of Fame in 2016.

Frazier was hospitalized for treatment of diabetes and a lung infection. He died in March 2021 and is buried at Carver Memorial Gardens in Minor.

References

  • Mosley, Don (July 25, 2011) "Sam Frazier, Jr.. Transmedia Music
  • "Mr. Sam "Cabbage Man" Frazier, Jr." obituary (March 2021)

External links

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