WILLIE MITCHELL: REST IN POWER
Willie Mitchell, a musician and record producer most associated with the soul and R&B scene in Memphis, has died. He was 81.
Mitchell died Tuesday at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, after suffering cardiac arrest on Dec. 19.
Mitchell was a producer at Hi Records in the 1970s, working with soul artists such as Al Green, Ann Peebles and Syl Johnson.
He also owned Royal Studio, where emerging talent such as Buddy Guy, John Mayer and other artists first recorded.
Born and raised in Ashland, Miss., Mitchell began playing trumpet at age eight and played with local big bands.
After college, he began playing with jazz musicians like Booker Little, Charles Lloyd and Phineas Newborn Jr.
He had several instrumental hit singles in the 1960s, including 20-75 and Soul Serenade, which was also the title of one of his hit albums. Others included Willie Mitchell Live, On Top and Robbin’s Nest.
Mitchell and his band provided the musical entertainment at several New Year’s Eve parties for Elvis Presley at Presley’s Graceland home.
In 1970, he was put in charge of the Hi label, signing Green and Peebles and helping to advance their careers.
Green became one of the decade’s top soul artists with Mitchell co-producing and engineering all of Green’s albums from 1970 through 1976, as well as such Top 10 singles as Tired of Being Alone and Call Me (Come Back Home).
Green again recorded with Mitchell on 2003’s I Can’t Stop and 2005’s Everything’s OK.
Most recently, he wrote string and horn arrangements for Rod Stewart’s new album of R&B covers, and produced a still-unreleased album for soul kingpin Solomon Burke.
Mitchell received a Trustees Award from the Grammy Foundation in 2008 and a street in Memphis is named after him.
Mitchell leaves a son and two daughters.
I will chime in now: Willie Mitchell was as much a part of Al Greens sound as Al dam near. I grew up wanting to be Willie Mitchell who in my eyes was and is the most under rated record producer of all time. He is one of the architects of soul music, a masterful writer,arranger and producer. He ended his career on a Hi note ( no pun intended) which is a beautiful thing. He also was a a hell of a musician playing trumpet and organ on many of the Al Green records besides having had his own instrumental hits in the 60’s. I included a favorite of mine and the Rza’s right here for your listening pleasure:
grovin- Willie Mitchel
Here’s is a sterling example of his production and arranging skills in what may be my favorite Al Green song ever.
17-im-a-ram-Al Green produced and arranged by Willie Mitchell
The music world lost a giant today one some of you may never had hear of but trust every person who ever made beats, whoever played the organ and whoever loved them some Al Green , Syl Johnson or Ann Pebbles were moved by his work. It was simply called soul and he had a ton of it. As a youth I wanted to grow up to be a Willie Mitchell or Steve Cropper so to you Willie Mitchell I say thank you for the music your sound is timeless and somehow spiritual for me. Rest In Power I’m gonna go listen to some Al Green right now and commune with your spirit.
Rest In Power
D Ross
January 5th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Wow! I’m Devastated! This Man Is Soo Instrumental To Modern Music and To My Lifelong Musical Enjoyment period!
I Owe Alot of goodtimes to Willie And Al, I think The Whole World Does.