Ernest McLean

Ernest J. McLean (March 23, 1925 – February 24, 2012) was an American rhythm and blues and jazz guitarist.

Career Born in New Orleans, McLean was the son of musician Richard McLean, who played banjo in a government music project band, and his wife Beatrice. He began learning guitar at the age of 11. After the end of World War II, he joined Dave Bartholomew's band. The band featured drummer Earl Palmer and saxophonists Lee Allen, Herb Hardesty and Red Tyler, and became the best-known in New Orleans. They performed on many recordings, notably those made at Cosimo Matassa's studio. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, McLean was featured on many of the most successful and influential recordings of the era, including Fats Domino's "The Fat Man", Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", McLean followed bandmate Earl Palmer to Los Angeles, where he began working in Earl Bostic's band.

In 2010, he took part in a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to Dave Bartholomew at Case Western University. He died in Los Angeles in 2012 at the age of 86.