Jesse
Fortune (February 28, 1930 – August 31, 2009) was an American Chicago blues
singer and barber.
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| Otis Rush |
Born in Macon, Mississippi, Fortune was trained as a barber before moving to Chicago, Illinois, in 1952. In Chicago, he worked as a barber during the day and a blues singer at night. Fortune became one of the most popular performers for "heavy duty vocal work" in the Chicago blues scene of the 1950s and 1960s. Hired by the legendary Otis Rush as a special guest feature vocalist for the Otis Rush Band show in 1952, Jesse made his mark on Chicago's tough west side. Keeping in mind that Otis Rush was himself one of the great vocalists in Chicago as well. Other great vocalists like Buddy Guy also hired fortune as a special guest vocalist.
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| Willie Dixon |
Jesse soon caught the attention of Willie Dixon who was penning tunes for Rush at that time. Dixon told writers and A&R men about Jesse Fortune and how he was "knocked out by his talent and power". Jesse Fortune soon found himself recording for the USA label and had Dixon writing tunes for him. After a meteoric rise to popularity behind the release of the USA sides, Fortune became rightfully disillusioned by the Blues music scene and it dishonesty. He has often said he "never made a dime from his recordings" even though he became a minor star behind them. Almost as fast as he rose to prominence he disappeared from the scene.
Blues guitarist Dave Specter said of Fortune, "He was one of the great Chicago blues singers. He had an amazingly powerful voice, kind of in the style of early B.B. King. He had so much presence he almost didn't need a microphone." Fortune's best known recording was "Too Many Cooks," released in 1963. The Robert Cray Band later covered Fortune's "Too Many Cooks." Fortune released a number of records for the USA label, but became disillusioned with the music business. He later said that he "never made a dime from his recordings."
Bob Koester of Delmark Records, caught Jesse singing at a benefit concert and immediately signed him on the spot. And in 1992, Fortune made a comeback with the release of a new album titled Fortune Tellin' Man. Down Beat Magazine rote, "Fortune's Delmark CD, Fortune Tellin' Man, showcases his gospelly vocal grit; he uses his love for B.B. King's style as a springboard instead of a crutch." And Cadence Magazine wrote, "His voice is expressive yet never sounds strained or labored. He is deeply soulful with a strutting rhythmic style ... that give this material such a freshness not often hear on Blues releases these days. Jesse Fortune's return to recording and gigging is a most welcome event." Fortune operated a barber shop on Chicago's west side in his later years and continued to perform occasionally in Chicago's blues clubs.
Delmark Records founder Bob Koester recalled Fortune's love of being a barber: "Barbering was his trade and he took more than a little pride in it. He liked running his barbershop." Fortune once "had an opportunity to sing in Europe but turned it down because he didn't want to disappoint his haircut customers."
In August 2009, Fortune died at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago after collapsing on stage while performing at Gene's Playmate Lounge, a Chicago blues club. An autopsy showed he died of coronary atherosclerosis.
(Edited from Wikipedia & Blues Management Group)