MALCOLM YELVINGTON

September 14, 1918 - February 21, 2001

Malcolm Yelvington was born in Tipton County in West Tennessee on September 14, 1918. He grew up in the county seat, Covington, and remained there until moving to Memphis as a young man. Malcolm's first professional performance was as a solo act at the Gem Theatre in Covington in 1943. He sang and accompanied himself on guitar. Later, Malcolm met keyboard player and composer Reece Fleming and steel guitar player Red Wynn and formed a group, The Tennesseans, which played dances and honky tonks around West Tennessee. Eventually bassist Jake Riales and lead guitarist Gordon Mashburn joined the group and they changed the name of the band to Malcolm Yelvington and The Star Rhythm Boys.

In 1954, Malcolm and The Star Rhythm Boys went into Sam Phillips' Memphis studio and recorded "Drinkin' Wine Spodeeodee," a cover of a Sticks Mcgee song. Sticks was the brother of blues great Brownie Mcgee. The song was released on Phillips' Sun record label as Sun single 211. The song released just before "Drinkin' Wine Spodeeodee" was Sun single 210, "Good Rockin' Tonight," by a young man named Elvis Presley.

Malcolm's version of "Drinkin' Wine Spodeeodee" became a minor hit. Sun later released the single "Rockin' With My Baby" written by Malcolm Yelvington. On the flip side was "It's Me Baby" written by The Star Rhythm Boy's keyboard player Reece Fleming. With Malcolm on vocals and rhythm guitar both sides became regional hits. Still under contract to Sam Phillips at Sun, but with all the studio time going to Elvis, Malcolm recorded a hit single "Yakety-Yak" for the Meteor label under the pseudonym of Mack Sales and the Esquire Trio.

Malcolm Yelvington spent about thirty years out of the music business, only continuing with his musical career after retiring. In 1988, Malcolm toured England and Holland playing to sold out houses every time he performed. One of his shows in Holland was releasesed as a live album on a Dutch record label. American artists, Malcolm Yelvington's biggest musical following is Like many seminal in Europe where it seems many American musical treasures are honored and revered while being virtually ignored in their own country.