Big Maceo Merriweather

Major "Big Maceo" Merriweather (March 31, 1905 – February 23, 1953) was an American pianist and blues singer. He was mainly active in Chicago through the 1940s.

Career Born in Newnan, Georgia, Red introduced him to Lester Melrose of RCA Victor and its subsidiary label Bluebird Records, which signed Merriweather to a recording contract.

His first record was "Worried Life Blues" (1941), which became a blues hit, a blues standard, and remained his signature piece. The song had elements derived from Sleepy John Estes' "Someday, Baby". and Henry Gray, the latter of whom credited Merriweather with helping him launch his career as a blues pianist.

His style influenced practically every postwar blues pianist of significance. It was in the first batch of songs inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in the category Classic Blues Recordings – Singles or Album Tracks, alongside "Stormy Monday", 'Sweet Home Chicago", "Dust My Broom", and "Hellhound on My Trail".

Merriweather suffered a stroke in 1946.

His recordings for RCA Victor/Bluebird were released as a double album, Chicago Breakdown, in 1975. They have since been reissued on various labels. to raise funds to honor Merriweather's unmarked grave with a headstone. The concert was a success, and a headstone was placed in June 2008.

Discography Collection "Jazz Classics" No. 22 (RCA Victor, 1961) Black & White Vol. 9 (RCA, 1969) Big Maceo with Tampa Red in Chicago 1941–1946 (Sunflower, 1970) Chicago Breakdown (RCA, 1975) Bluebird No. 2: Big Maceo, vol. 1 (RCA, 1976) The Best of Big Maceo, vols. 1 and 2 (Arhoolie, 1984) Tampa Red/Big Maceo: Get It Cats! (Swingtime, 1989) The King of Chicago Blues Piano (Arhoolie, 1993) Worried Life Blues (Orbis, 1995) The Bluebird Recordings (RCA/Bluebird 1997) The Essential Recordings of Tampa Red and Big Maceo (Indigo, 1999) The Best of Big Maceo with Tampa Red (Blues Forever, 2001) Chicago Piano, vols. 1 and 2 (Fabulous, 2003) Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order Volume, vols 1 and 2 (Document, 2004)