About Jimmy McLin
Lived 1908 – 1983 (aged 75). Jimmy McLin was a jazz guitarist.
James Archibald McLin (June 26, 1908, Brooksville, Florida – December 15, 1983, St. Petersburg, Florida) was an American jazz banjoist and guitarist.
McLin started on piano before picking up banjo and, later, guitar. He played locally in Florida before relocating to New York City in 1928, playing both guitar and banjo in the early 1930s for James P. Johnson, Ward Pinkett, and Roy Eldridge. Later in the decade he recorded with Willie "The Lion" Smith, Buster Bailey, Midge Williams, and Billie Holiday. In the early 1940s he worked with Sidney Bechet, Dave Nelson, and Claude Hopkins, then played trombone and mellophone in a military band while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. After his discharge he worked again with Hopkins and played guitar for The Ink Spots.
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Important facts
People in Jimmy McLin's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jimmy McLin's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jimmy McLin?
American jazz musician
When was Jimmy McLin born?
Jimmy McLin was born on 27 June 1908.
When did Jimmy McLin die?
Jimmy McLin died on 15 December 1983.
What was Jimmy McLin's occupation?
Jimmy McLin was a jazz guitarist.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jimmy McLin. https://biography.guide/jimmy-mclin/
MLA: "Jimmy McLin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jimmy-mclin/.
Chicago: "Jimmy McLin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jimmy-mclin/.
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