Tommy McClennan

• Name — Tommy McClennan • Born — 4 January 1905 • Birthplace — Durant, Mississippi, U.S. • Died — 9 May 1961 • Place of death — Chicago, Illinois, U.S. • Instrument — * Guitar • vocals • Genre — * Delta blues • country blues • Years Active — 1939–1942 • Label — Bluebird

McClennan was born in Durant, Mississippi, and grew up in the town. He played and sang blues in a rough, energetic style. He made a series of recordings for Bluebird Records from 1939 through 1942. He regularly played with his friend Robert Petway. His voice is heard in the background on Petway's recording of "Boogie Woogie Woman" (1942). McClennan's singles in this period included "Bottle It Up and Go", "New Highway No. 51", "Shake 'Em on Down", and "Whiskey Head Woman". Several of his songs have been covered by other musicians, including "Cross Cut Saw Blues" (covered by Albert King) and "My Baby's Gone" (Moon Mullican). Bob Dylan covered Tommy McClennan's track, "Highway 51" (which was written by Curtis Jones), on his self-titled debut album in 1962. McClennan's "I'm a Guitar King" was included in the 1959 collection The Country Blues, issued by Folkways Records. McClennan died of bronchopneumonia in Chicago, Illinois, on May 9, 1961. In 2015 the Killer Blues Headstone Project placed a headstone for Tommy McClennan at Mt. Glenwood cemetery in Thornton, Illinois.