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This was from the original Obit. James died in 2003 in Eugene, Oregon.
Byline: The Register-Guard
Funeral arrangements are pending for Eugene blues guitarist James "Supe" Bradshaw, whose musical resume included gigs with top performers from Buddy Miles to Albert Collins.
Bradshaw, 55, bled to death Saturday after cutting himself while trying to enter his Eugene home through a window.
The son of Elmer and Arvetta Bradshaw, he grew up in Long Beach, Calif., in a musical family.
"His father played. All the relatives and all the cousins played. We grew up with guitars and fiddles and all that," recalled his cousin, Suzanne Hall of Eugene. `The first recording he ever did was a 45 of `Fever.' He did it in the garage.'
But Bradshaw's career progressed far beyond garage rock 'n' roll. A high school friend of the late blues guitarist Henry Vestine, he often played and toured with Vestine's Canned Heat. Other musicians with whom he appeared or recorded included Taj Mahal, Etta James and Junior Wells.
"He really had it. He was the real deal," said Stan Welsh, a McKenzie River guitarist who has played more recently with Bradshaw.
Eugene bluesman T-Bone Weldon called Bradshaw a virtuoso. "He was a maestro. He was able to feel and articulate the blues better than any man I ever met."
Besides his father, Bradshaw is survived by a son, Michael, and a daughter, Melody.
Bradshaw was a regular player at Rooster's Jam at Good Times, where a memorial jam session was held Tuesday night.
COPYRIGHT 2003 The Register Guard
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Tim Riter
As I recall, "Big Bowl of Soul" was 1 of 2, "Fever" was the A side. I think Mick Lorito was also in the band, he and Jerry were both drummers. Let me check with Jerry to confirm it.
Duncan Bush
Scott Hays might be right. I remember a guy in the class before us, Steve Watts who played in that band.I think it was the same band.
Tim Riter
I just got some info from Jerry. The band was called the Huntsmen (my bad memory on that one), Mick Lorito ('65) played rhythm guitar, and Jim played and sang lead. They did have two drummers, Jerry and some other guy whom he can't remember. Jim was the only one who went professional, with several name bands. Steve Watts was in the Emporers, but the guys all knew one another.
Tim Riter
Jerry just sent me digital copies of the two songs recorded by Jim, Big Bowl of Soul and Fever. Message me if you'd like copies of them.
Thomas Guy
Steve watts was (still is) the drummer for the "Emperors"Christopher Hope
I knew Jim since Jr. High at Marshall. In our senior year I joined "the Howlin' Blues" which by that time had already transitioned from a Stones cover band to mining the Stones' source material; Chicago blues etc. Jim was one of two alternating second guitarists in that band. I remember we were playing at the Airport Club/Marina Palace ( that large quonset hut structure just inland from PCH as you left Long Beach going south.) He took a solo, dropped to his knees,looking up, eyes closed, head cocked to one side, all James Brown/Please Please Please-like. I looked over and thought... all right Jim! Pretty cool. Jim always had panache on stage. The reference was clear to me, We were both JB fans, and had gone together to See James Brown at the Shrine auditorium . Two 18 year-old white kids ( the Only white faces *I* saw in the crowd) Sitting in the first row of the balcony Just reveling in the whole scene. Later we had this short-lived bi-racial band, "Desciples of Soul". But (somehow) Jim hooked us up with Johnny Otis ( of "Willy and the Hand Jive" fame); who was now a DJ on "The Mighty 1090" XERB. I got to play with some pretty cool folks, including Eddie "clean head" Vinson, as a consequence; but it wasn't a good fit for me as an undergraduate Bio major.
Jim ran with it. Played with Otis ( and later with his son Shuggy) for a while. ( several albums including a live one at the monterey jazz festival); But a falling out with Otis and a *short* disasterous stint as a draftee into the US Army, seemed to leave some scars. He eventually burnt more that a few bridges in SoCal; and eventually emigrated North. It's good to see he was able to re-invent himself in Eugene, as evidenced by numerous, clearly heartfelt, testimonials from the musician community there upon his passing.
Tim Smith
Great memories, Chris. I knew Jim from Patrick Henry on....he was always an interesting and volatile character with massive talent. I remember when I started playing guitar, I'd go over and we'd jam around, but a flamenco player and blues guy didn't find a lot in common, yet we had fun.
In 1970 or 71 I was at Cal with Mark Gladstone, Bill Welte, and Bob Granafei. Otis was playing King Hall and Jim was with him. I can't remember how we made contact, but he got us in the stage door where were hanging around with Big Joe Turner, Cleanhead, and the rest of the band. As Chis knows, these guys were the real deal, bona fide bluesmen with credentials as long as two arms and your legs to boot. We were all kind of awe-struck white guys in a room full of dark fury. So here's the great story:
We're shooting the breeze with Jim, when some guy comes back from the stage door. He says, "There's some dude at the door says he's got Eddie Vinson's heart medicine." Big Joe, who was truy BIG, is seated just across from us. From the depths of his being, a baritone rumbles "Sheeeiiit, I didn't know the motherfucker had a heart!"
Absolutely priceless.
I lived in the Eugene area for a number of years in the mid-70's, but that must have been before Jimmy moved up there. Too bad, I always wondered what had happened to him, his talent, and that great big heart he showed when he played.
Michael Scott
Like Tim, I met Jim in the second or third grade at Patrick Henry. We always liked and respected eachother. The last time I saw Jim was in 1973. I was a graduate student at SC and Jim was dating a graduate assistant in the English Department, as I recall. We stumbled into eachother at the original 901 Club across the street from campus. We reminisced and ejoyed learning about the twists and turns in our respective paths. He was playing with Johnny "Guitar" Watson at the time. As some one else said, Jim was the real deal.
Bill Denny
JIM PLAYED A COUPLE OF NIGHTS IN THE BAND I WAS IN. SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT HIS DEATH.
John Debaun
Cool Guy Bradshaw, I know he is the reason a lot of us got turned on to the Blues enough to take up playing it. Jim was a local legend,