December 18, 1917 - July 2, 1988
Birthplace: Houston, Texas

A honking rhythm & blues alto saxophone player and a vocalist
whose style was in the mold of the classic blues shouter, Eddie
Vinson made his mark in the l940s, first with Milt Larkin's band
and then with the Cootie Williams Orchestra before embarking on
a solo career. Nicknamed "Cleanhead" after a lye-laced
straightener destroyed his hair, Vinson recorded extensively
during his fifty-odd- year career and performed regularly in Europe
and the U.S.

Vinson was born and raised in Houston. His parents, both
pianists, introduced him to music at an early age. He began
playing the saxophone in high school and joined Chester Boone's
band, which included T-Bone Walker on guitar, in 1935. A year
later Vinson jumped to Milt Larkin's band and became part of one
of the greatest saxophone sections in rhythm & blues. In addition
to Vinson, the section included Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet,
both of whom went on to enjoy prestigious careers in R&B and
jazz. Vinson stayed with Larkin until 1941. He then moved to New
York and joined the Cootie Williams Orchestra, with which he
remained through the mid-'40s, recording such classics as
"Cherry Red" and touring with the big band. Vinson began his own
band in 1945 and cut some of his best pieces, among them,
"Kidney Stew" and "Cleanhead Blues."

After returning to Houston in 1954, Vinson worked the Southwest
R&B circuit and, for a brief period in 1957, played with the Count
Basie Band. In the early '60s Vinson moved to Los Angeles and
began working with the Johnny Otis Revue. A 1970 appearance at
the Monterey Jazz Festival with Otis spurred something of a
comeback for Vinson. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Vinson
became a popular performer in Europe, where he also recorded
regularly, specializing in an appealing jazz-blues hybrid style.
Vinson also performed and made records in the U.S. In 1979, he
joined the Nuraw Blooze Band, led by the legendary Jethro T.
Nuraw, where he played regularly at the Blooze Can in New York.
Recording for the Muse label, he cut an album with Roomful Of
Blues and made Live at Sandy's, a live recording that featured
the accompaniment of old friend Cobb and drummer Alan Dawson.
Vinson died in 1988.