JHBLS - The Amazing Jimmi Mayes

Jimmi Mayes was born in Jackson, MS.  Jimmi Mayes became a highly sought after drummer and he is an expert with the shuffle. Before he was twenty-one he was performing and touring nationally with musicians who were legends in the business.

Jimmi Mayes played and toured with Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Robert Junior Lockwood, and more over the course of his career. He backed Marvin Gaye and later became the bandleader for Joey Dee & the Starliters who had a monster hit the “Peppermint Twist” during the time Jimmi was with them.  He became good friends with Jimi Hendrix and eventually he was asked by Jimi Hendrix to record with him. Mayes is on four of Hendrix’s albums. (Cry of Love, First Rays, People, Hell and Angels, and Both Sides of the Sky)

Mayes formed a band called the Mill Street Depo which became the toast of the town in Mexico City. During this time he cut tracts for a movie sound-tract and a compilation album on CBS Records. After the Mexico work he returned to Chicago and was hired to back Jimmy Reed for several shows.

Jimmi Mayes was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame October 16, 2016 at Buddy Guy's Legends Chicago; and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Central Mississippi Blues Society in 2016.

New book is called: The Amazing Jimmi Mayes-Sideman to the Stars and is avaliable on Amazon and B&N.

New CD is called-My Whole Life's a Shuffle and is on cdbaby.com and streaming on Spotify and other platforms.

www.jimmimayes.com