Delbert McClinton (born November 4, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist.
From his first professional stage appearance in 1957 to his most recent national tour in 2018, he has recorded albums for several major record labels and singles that have reached the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Rock Tracks, and Hot Country Songs charts. His highest-charting single was "Tell Me About It", a 1992 duet with Tanya Tucker, which reached number four on the country chart. Four of his albums have been number one on the blues chart, and another reached number two. His highest-charting pop hit was 1980's "Giving It Up for Your Love", which peaked at number eight on the Hot 100.
McClinton has earned four Grammy Awards - 1992 Rock Performance by a Duo with Bonnie Raitt for "Good Man, Good Woman", 2002 Contemporary Blues Album for Nothing Personal, 2006 Best Contemporary Blues Album for Cost of Living, and 2020 Best Traditional Blues Album for Tall, Dark, & Handsome. He has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards as of 2020.
He was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in March 2011, along with Lee Roy Parnell, Bruce Channel, Gary Nicholson, and Cindy Walker. In 2019, Delbert McClinton was honored by the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, with the fifth star in their Walk of Fame. (Others are actors Jaston Williams and Joe Sears, and musical artists Jerry Jeff Walker and Lyle Lovett).
Career Early years McClinton was born in Lubbock, Texas, and moved with his family to Fort Worth when he was 11 years old. He worked in a bar band, the Straitjackets, who backed Sonny Boy Williamson II, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed. McClinton recorded several regional singles before hitting the national chart in 1962, playing harmonica on Bruce Channel's "Hey! Baby". On a tour with Channel in the United Kingdom, McClinton instructed John Lennon on the finer points of blues harmonica playing.
McClinton formed the Ron-Dels, sometimes called the Rondells, with Ronnie Kelly and Billy Wade Sanders."The house band at the Tracer was the Ron-Dels, a white-boy blues, rock, and country band led by a soulful singer named Delbert McClinton and his buddies Ronnie Kelly and Billy Wade Sanders." Patoski, Joe Nick (2008). Willie Nelson: An Epic Life. Little, Brown. pp. 85–86. ."McClinton's sides, of the same vintage, display his capable voice leading the Ron-Dels and the Straightjackets, two prominent Fort Worth white punk groups of the day." Texas Monthly, April 1979, p. 183. The band had a chart single in 1965 with "If You Really Want Me to I'll Go"."Upon returning to the U.S., McClinton founded a group called the Rondells (sometimes listed as the Ron-Dels), which had a minor chart single in 1965 with 'If You Really Want Me to, I'll Go". Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2003). All Music Guide to Country. p. 480. .
1970s Relocating to Los Angeles in 1972, McClinton partnered with fellow Texan Glen Clark to perform a combination of country and soul music. They released two albums before splitting, and McClinton embarked on a solo career.
Emmylou Harris had a number-one hit in 1978 with her recording of McClinton's composition "Two More Bottles of Wine", and a cover version of his "B Movie Boxcar Blues" was on the first album by the Blues Brothers, Briefcase Full of Blues.
1980s and 1990s McClinton's 1980 album, The Jealous Kind, contained his only Top 40 hit single, "Giving It Up for Your Love", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 35 on Adult Contemporary. He was inactive in the studio during much of the 1980s, though he toured heavily. McClinton closed the decade with the Grammy-nominated 1989 album Live from Austin, recorded during an appearance on the television program Austin City Limits and co-produced by saxophonist sideman Don Wise, who went on to become a longtime fixture in the band.
In 1991, McClinton won a Grammy Award for a duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Good Man, Good Woman", and reached the Top 5 of the country chart with "Tell Me About It", a duet with Tanya Tucker. He re-entered the Billboard charts in 1992 with the album Never Been Rocked Enough, which included the charting single "Every Time I Roll the Dice" and a cover of John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me".
McClinton recorded the song "Weatherman", which was played with the opening titles and closing credits of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. The fledgling label Rising Tide Records released One of the Fortunate Few in 1997, before the label went out of business.
2000–present McClinton released two studio albums in the early 2000s for New West Records, which also issued Delbert McClinton Live in 2003, a compilation album of songs from his career. In 2006, he won a Grammy Award for his album Cost of Living in the category Best Contemporary Blues Album.
Etta James included two McClinton songs on her 2003 album, Let's Roll.
McClinton was a judge for the fourth annual Independent Music Awards, presented to independent artists to support their careers. He is featured in the documentary film Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey, by the filmmaker Jay Curlee.
McClinton performed on the Frankie Miller album Double Take, released in 2016; his voice is merged with Miller's in the song "Beginner at the Blues". His 2019 recording, Tall, Dark and Handsome, was chosen as a Favorite Blues Album by AllMusic. It was awarded the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Discography Studio albums YearAlbumChart PositionsLabelUS BluesUS CountryUSUS Indie 1972 Delbert & Glen Clean/Atlantic 1973 Subject to Change (Delbert & Glen) 1975 Victim of Life's Circumstances ABC 1976 Genuine Cowhide 1977 Love Rustler 49 1978 Second Wind Capricorn 1979 Keeper of the Flame 146 1980 The Jealous Kind 34 Capitol 1981 Plain' from the Heart 181 1987 Honky Tonkin' MCA 1989 Honky Tonkin' (I Guess I Done Me Some) Alligator Live from Austin 1990 I'm with You Curb 1992 Never Been Rocked Enough 118 1993 Feelin' Alright Intermedia Delbert McClinton Curb 1994 Shot from the Saddle Mercury Honky Tonk 'n' Blues MCA 1995 Let the Good Times Roll 1997 One of the Fortunate Few 2 15 116 Rising Tide 2001 Nothing Personal 1 20 103 3 New West 2002 Room to Breathe 1 12 84 3 2003 Live (at the Bergen Musicfest) 44 31 2005 Cost of Living 1 14 105 16 2006 Live from Austin, TX 2007 Rockin' Blues Direct Source 2009 Acquired Taste 1 131 23 New West 2013 Blind, Crippled and Crazy (Delbert & Glen) 1 172 36 2017 Prick of the Litter 2 18 Hot Shot 2019 Tall, Dark & Handsome 1 15 2022 Outdated Emotion
Compilation albums YearAlbumLabel 1978 Very Early Delbert McClinton, Vol. 1 LeCam Very Early Delbert McClinton, Vol. 2 LeCam 1989 Best of Delbert McClinton Curb 1994 Classics Volume One (The Jealous Kind) reissue of 1980 album Curb Classics Volume Two (Plain' from the Heart) reissue of 1981 album Curb 1995 The Great Songs – Come Together 1999 The Crazy Cajun Recordings Edsel Ultimate Collection Hip-O 2000 Don't Let Go: The Collection Music Club Genuine Rhythm & the Blues Hip-O 2003 The Best of Delbert McClinton: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection MCA Nashville 2006 The Definitive Collection Hip-O
Singles YearSingleChart PositionsAlbumUSUS ACUS CountryUS MSRCANCAN Country1965"If You Really Want Me To, I'll Go" (the Ron-Dels)97———— Very Early Delbert McClinton, Vol. 11972"I Received a Letter" (Delbert & Glen)90—————Delbert & Glen1980"Giving It Up for Your Love"835——10—The Jealous Kind1981"Shotgun Rider"70—————"Sandy Beaches"101—————Plain' from the Heart1990"I'm with You"——78———I'm with You1992"Every Time I Roll the Dice"———1340—Never Been Rocked Enough1995"Come Together"——————Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles1997"Sending Me Angels"——65——92One of the Fortunate Few2001"When Rita Leaves"——————Nothing Personal2002"Same Kind of Crazy"——————Room to Breathe"Lone Star Blues"——————2005"One of the Fortunate Few"——————Cost of Living"I Had a Real Good Time"——————2006"Midnight Communion"——————2009"Mama's Little Baby"——————Acquired Taste"Starting a Rumor"——————
Guest singles YearSingleArtistChart PositionsAlbumUS CountryCAN Country1993"Tell Me About It"Tanya Tucker43Can't Run from Yourself
Music videos Year Video 1990 "I'm with You" 1990 "Who's Foolin' Who" 1992 "Everytime I Roll The Dice" 1995 "Come Together" 1997 "Sending Me Angels" 2002 "Lone Star Blues"
Grammy awards and nominations
! |- |align=center|2020 |Tall, Dark, & Handsome |Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album | |rowspan="8"| |- |rowspan="2"| 2006 |"Midnight Communion" |Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
|Cost Of Living |rowspan="3"| Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album
|align=center|2003 |Room To Breathe
|align=center|2002 |Nothing Personal
|align=center|1993 |"Tell Me About It" |Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration
|align=center|1992 |"Good Man, Good Woman" |Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
|align=center|1990 |Live From Austin |Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Recording
References
External links Official website AllMusic biography