The Fieldstones

Formed by musicians that had long been in the Memphis music scene, the Fieldstones formed around 1974 following the death of longtime bandleader Leroy Hodges. Most of the group’s members had been in Hodges’ band, or at the very least had been guest performers with the group. Each had also moved to the Memphis area from the surrounding region early, and began gigging in the city as early as the 1950s.

Key to the group was their unique sound, which blended the blues guitar and vocal influences of Will Roy Sanders and Wordle Perkins, the early rock bass playing of Lois Brown, the early soul and R&B organ playing of Bobby Carnes, and the drumming of Joe Hicks rooted in the fife and drum music of his native rural Mississippi. These elements, while sounding disjunct, blended together into what Dr. David Evans called “a blast of an underground sound that was original, vital, and drenched in the blues traditions of Memphis and the surrounding region.”

Thus, the band would begin recording for High Water in 1980. Importantly, though, the group also had a singer: Little Applewhite. While he was present for their first recording sessions in 1980, Dr. Evans largely released him as a solo artist at first, though the band considered him to be a core member of the group. Another key member of the group was Clarence Nelson, a guitarist who would often join in with the band and had experience working with artists such as B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Rufus and Carla Thomas, and more.

The group would remain a mainstay of the Memphis blues scene until the 1990s, with their breakup only being due to the growing health issues of members Lois Brown and Joe Hicks. Will Roy Sanders would try and have his own version of the group, by they would eventually split off and become the Daddy Mack Blues Band. Rereleases of their albums would prompt the remaining members to reform, and they would perform regularly in Memphis throughout the 2000s.