Delbert McClinton

McClinton worked across musician, songwriter, pianist and blues musician. The registers place that work in blues and country music. This article rests on 94 catalogued compositions, 49 issued recordings, 1 digitised documents and 3 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Name — Delbert McClinton • Born — 4 November 1940 • Birthplace — Lubbock, Texas, U.S. • Origin — Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. • Instrument — Vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica • Genre — Blues rock, electric blues, country • Occupation — Singer-songwriter, musician • Years Active — 1962–present • Label — LeCam, Soft, Bobill, Brownfield, Smash, Clean, Paramount, ABC, Mercury, Capitol, MCA, Alligator, Curb, Intermedia, Polygram, Rising Tide, New West, Direct Source • Website — delbert.com

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 band had a chart single in 1965 with "If You Really Want Me to I'll Go".

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.

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.

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.

• Year — Album — Chart Positions — Label • US Blues — US Country — US — US 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

• Year — Album — Label • 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

• Year — Single — Chart Positions — Album • US — US AC — US Country — US MSR — CAN — CAN Country • 1965 — "If You Really Want Me To, I'll Go" (the Ron-Dels) — 97 — — — — — — — — — Very Early Delbert McClinton, Vol. 1 • 1972 — "I Received a Letter" (Delbert & Glen) — 90 — — — — — — — — — — — Delbert & Glen • 1980 — "Giving It Up for Your Love" — 8 — 35 — — — — — 10 — — — The Jealous Kind • 1981 — "Shotgun Rider" — 70 — — — — — — — — — — • "Sandy Beaches" — 101 — — — — — — — — — — — Plain' from the Heart • 1990 — "I'm with You" — — — — — 78 — — — — — — — I'm with You • 1992 — "Every Time I Roll the Dice" — — — — — — — 13 — 40 — — — Never Been Rocked Enough • 1995 — "Come Together" — — — — — — — — — — — — — Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles • 1997 — "Sending Me Angels" — — — — — 65 — — — — — 92 — One of the Fortunate Few • 2001 — "When Rita Leaves" — — — — — — — — — — — — — Nothing Personal • 2002 — "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" — — — — — — — — — — — —

• Year — Single — Artist — Chart Positions — Album • US Country — CAN Country • 1993 — "Tell Me About It" — Tanya Tucker — 4 — 3 — Can't Run from Yourself

• 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"

Delbert McClinton is recorded with the occupation musician. Established in Bibliothèque nationale de France under 13924479w. Established in Library of Congress under n91083322. Recorded as musician, songwriter and pianist. Established in Discogs under 439406. Established in FAST under 290494.