Big Jay McNeely
American rhythm and blues saxophonist
Cecil James McNeely (April 29, 1927 – September 16, 2018), better known as Big Jay McNeely, was an American rhythm and blues saxophonist.[2] He was born in Los Angeles, California. McNeely's first hit was "The Deacon's Hop," [3] an instrumental which was at the top of the Billboard R&B chart in early 1949.[2] He was added into The Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.[4]
Big Jay McNeely | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Cecil James McNeely |
| Born | April 29, 1927 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 16, 2018 (aged 91) Moreno Valley, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jump blues, West Coast blues, jazz blues, rhythm and blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone |
| Years active | Late 1940s–2018 |
| Labels | Cleopatra Blues, a division of Cleopatra Records[1] |
McNeely died on September 16, 2018 from prostate cancer in Moreno Valley, California at the age of 91.[5]
References change
- ↑ Jonny Whiteside, "Veteran Saxophone "Honker" Big Jay McNeely Can Still Blow Them Away", "LA Weekly", December 8, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Biography by Bill Dahl". Allmusic.com. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
- ↑ "Bman's Blues Report: Deacon's Hop - Big Jay McNeely and Detroit Gary Wiggins". www.bmansbluesreport.com. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
- ↑ "Blues Foundation Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Music Awards Set for May in Memphis". 2014-02-19. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
- ↑ "R.I.P. Big Jay McNeely, April 29, 1927-Sept. 16, 2018". Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
Other websites change
- Official Website Big Jay McNeely Archived 2009-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Big Jay McNeely MySpace page
- Big Jay McNeely Archived 2014-12-15 at the Wayback Machine page at This is Vintage Now
- Dozens of vintage photos and album covers
- McNeely stage performance photograph at Soulpatrol.com
- Big Jay McNeely and "Detroit" Gary Wiggins - Saxomania Tour Europe
- NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Oral History Interview with Big Jay McNeely May 23, 2013
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