Floyd Murphy
 Floyd Murphy
is originally from Memphis, Tennessee, and knew and performed with many of Memphis'
greats. He worked with blues harp man James Cotton (even before Cotton moved to Chicago),
Junior Parker, Rufus Thomas, Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, Johnny Ace, Willie
Nix, Bobby Blue Bland, Roosevelt Sykes, and many others throughout the south.
As a young guitar player on the Memphis music
scene in the early 1950s, Murphy recorded classic sides with singer/harmonica player
Junior Parker and The Blue Flames for Sam Phillips' Sun Records. Floyd's tricky guitar
playing on Feelin' Good seems to actually sound like two guitar players. Mystery
Train also recorded at these sessions, was covered by Elvis Presley and became one of
Elvis' most popular recordings of the 1950s.
Murphy moved to Chicago in 1956, and after a
couple of years in the Armed Forces, relocated to Cairo, Illinois, working with many of
Cairo's fine R & B musicians which included Eddie Snow and the Snowflakes, as well as
playing dates in the Chicagoland area.
In the early 60s, Murphy recorded the VeeJay
Records release of Birdlegs and Pauline's tune Spring which rose to number 18 on
the R & B charts. For the next 30 years Murphy has continually performed throughout
the midwest.
In 1990 Floyd collaborated with his brother
Matt "Guitar" Murphy on the CD Way Down South for Antoine's Records in
Austin Texas.
Sadly Floyd
Murphy suffered a debilitating stroke during the Super Bowl in 2002 just a
few months after his brother Matt "Guitar" Murphy suffered his stroke.
Select Discography
JUNIOR
PARKER AND THE BLUE FLAMES
Memphis, TN June 18, 1953
Junior Parker (vcl); Floyd Murphy (gtr); William Johnson (pno);
poss. Kenneth Banks (bs); John Bowers (dms); James Wheeler (sax).
78 RPM - Feelin'
Good b/w Fussin' and Fightin'
Sun Records # 187
RUFUS THOMAS
Memphis, TN June 30, 1953
Rufus Thomas (vcl); James Wheeler (sax); William Johnson (pno);
Floyd Murphy (gtr); Kenneth Banks (bs); Houston Stokes (dms).
78 RPM - Tiger Man
b/w Save That Money
Sun Records # 188
JUNIOR PARKER AND
THE BLUE FLAMES
Memphis, TN September/October 1953
Junior Parker (vcl); Floyd Murphy (gtr); William Johnson (pno);
poss. Kenneth Banks (bs); John Bowers (dms).
78 RPM - Mystery
Train b/w Love My Baby
Sun Records # 192
Feelin'
Bad (unissued at the time)
EDDIE SNOW
Memphis, TN July 19, 1955
Eddie Snow (vcl/pno); Benny Moore (sax); Eddie Davis (sax); Floyd
Murphy (gtr); Jeff Greyer (dms).
78 RPM - Bring
Your Love Back Home to Me
Sun Records #226
Ain't That Right (unissued at the time) |
BIRDLEGS AND PAULINE
Wisconsin, September 23, 1964
Sidney Banks; Floyd Murphy (gtr); Fred Below (dms); Freddy Patton
(org); Billy Duncans (sax); Frank Perry (bs); Julian Beasley (sax); Theotis Morgan (dms);
Al Hamilton (gtr); Johnny Elam (org); Hudson (trpt).
LP - Birdlegs
Cuca Records #K4000
45 RPM - Spring
VeeJay
MATT
"GUITAR" MURPHY
Austin, Texas 1990
Matt Murphy (gtr & vcl); Floyd Murphy (gtr); Tony Coleman (drm);
Russell Jackson (bs); Derek O'Brian (gtr); Chester King (hrmca); Mel Brown (pno); Eugene
Carrier (pno & org); Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (sax); Angela Strehli and Donna
Pearl (bkgd vcls).
CD - Way Down South
Antones Records/Discovery # 74205
GENEVA RED & THE
ROADSTERS
Memphis, TN and Chicago, IL 2000
Geneva Red (harmonica/vocals); Floyd Murphy (gtr); Jackie 5 &
Dime (gtr); Mark Sorlie (bs); Sam Carr (drms) and Earl Howell (drms).
CD - In The
Red
Full Cyrkle Records # FC333 |
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