Anderson Meade Lewis was born on the 4th of September, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, although sources do contradict themselves regarding this. His father was a guitarist who’d done some recordings himself, so he introduced Lewis to music and had him have Violin lessons. At sixteen he gave up the Violin around the same time as his fathers death and instead took up the piano. Growing up, he was good friends with Albert Ammons, going to the same school for a time and after he switched to piano they practised together on the Ammons piano. I wonder if Ammons piano playing was an influence on Lewis switching instruments, regardless, they remained friends for life.
Meade Lux Lewis first recording with Paramount Records was in 1927 with ‘Honky Tonk Train Blues’, which is probably his best known piece, it’s certainly the song I first discovered him through. Confusingly though, there are several version/recordings of this song, as he also recorded it for ‘Parlphone’ in 1935, for ‘Victor’ in 1937 and also a recording from the radio show ‘Camel Caravan’ where he gave a performance in New York in 1939.
In 1938, Lewis gave a performance at ‘Carnegie Hall for John Hammonds ‘From Spiriuals to Swing’ concert, which brought Lewis very much into the public eye. After this event he and two other performers ‘Albert Ammons’ and ‘Pete Johnson’ would often play together as a trio, both live and on recordings, it’s arguable of course, but they are probably the most famous three of them all.
Meade Lux Lewis also had a few appearances in the movies, being in ‘New Orleans in 1947 and ‘Nightmare’ in 1956. He also appeared (uncredited) in the well known ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ in 1946 where was playing a piano in a scene set in a bar.
In case you are wondering how Anderson Meade Lewis got the name Meade Lux Lewis, it stemmed from his childhood, where he was given the nickname ‘Lux’ by his friends. This was because he would imitate a character from a comic strip in Chicago ‘Alphonse and Gaston’ where he would stroke an imaginary beard, in-turn they called him the ‘Duke of Luxembourg’ and from that of course it was shorted to ‘Lux’.
On the 7th of June, 1964, Meade Lux Lewis left a restaurant where he performed and headed down the highway where his Chrysler Imperial was rear-ended by Ronald Bates (who survived, although his passenger didn’t) estimated to be travelling at 80 mph. Lewis’s car was pushed four hundred feet and crashed into a tree, he was killed instantly, he was fifty-eight.
The original recordings are said to have been destroyed in the 2008 Universal Studios Fire, if that’s so, it’s a rather sad thought.
| Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, Meade Lux Lewis – Boogie Woogie | 1941 |
| Boo-Woo Woo-Woo Roll ‘Em Pete Boogie Woogie | Boogie Woogie Prayer (Part One) Boogie Woogie Prayer (Part Two) Shout For Joy Bear Cat Crawl |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Blues Boogie Woogie | 1945 |
| Boogie Tidal Yancey’s Pride Glendale Glide | Denapas Parade Randini’s Boogie Lux’s Boogie |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Boogie At The Philharmonic | 1946 |
| Medium Boogie Fast Boogie Slow Boogie Honky Tonk Train Boogie |
| Slim Gaillard/Meade “Lux” Lewis – Opera In Vout / Boogie Woogie At The Philharmonic | 1951 |
| Slim Gaillard : Introduzione – Pianissimo Andante Contabile In Moda De Blues Presto Con Stomp Recitative E Fina | Meade “Lux” Lewis : Medium Boogie Fast Boogie Slow Boogie Honky Tonk Train |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Boogie Woogie Classics | 1952 |
| Honky Tonk Train Blues Tell Your Story Bass On Top | Six Wheel Chaser Chicago Flyer |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Meade Lux Lewis’ Interpretations Of The Great Boogie-Woogie Styles | 1952 |
| Yancey Special Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie Mr. Freddie’s Blues Jumpin’ For Pete | Suitcase Blues Albert’s Blues Cow Cow Blues Honkey Tonk Train Blues |
| Meade Lux Lewis And Louis Bellson – Boogie Woogie Piano And Drums | 1955 |
| Spooney Sam Maman’s Bounce Shooboody | Hangover Boogie Yancey’s Last Ride Bush Street Boogie |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Yancey’s Last Ride | 1956 |
| The Pittsburg Flier Jabouti Torpedo Juice Yancey’s Last Ride | Joe Prien’s Boogie Spooney Sam 629 Boogie San Francisco Shuffle |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Out Of The Roaring Twenties With Meade Lux Lewis | 1956 |
| Deed I Do Call Me Darling Ain’t She Sweet Lux Flakes Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home I Want A Little Girl | Take The Lobsters Off The Ice I Ain’t Got Nobody Meade’s Deed My Monday Date Sleepy Time Gal |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Barrel House Piano | 1957 |
| Six Wheel Chaser How Long Blues Someday Sweetheart Bugle Call Rag I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody… … None Of My Jelly Roll Mike Dark Town Strutters Ball Birth Of The Blues | Tidal Boogie Mardi Gras Drag Tisho Mingo Blues Jada Basin Street Blues Fast “A” Blues 12th Street Rag St. Louis Blues |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Cat House Piano | 1957 |
| The Pittsburgh Flyer Dragon Blues Jabouti Torpedo Juice | Joe Prein’s Boogie 620 Boogie Meade’s Mambo San Francisco Shuffle |
| Meade Lux Lewis – The Blues Piano Artistry Of Meade Lux Lewis | 1961 |
| Hammer Chatter You Were Meant For Me Celeste Bounce Bear Trap Stomp Frompy Stomp | Rough Seas Madame Vod’s Celeste Blues C-Jam Blues Fate Breezing At The Celeste |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Boogie Woogie And Blues | 1962 |
| Lux’s Boogie Glendale Glide Yancey’s Pride | Randini’s Boogie Denapas Parade Boogie Tida |
| Meade Lux Lewis – Boogie Woogie House Party | 1962 |
| Lux’s Boogie When The Saints Go Shufflin’ In When Johnny Came Marching Home Yancey’s Special Camptown Races Glendale Glide | Celeste Boogie Yancey’s Pride St. Louis Blues Honky Tonk Train Georgia Camp Meeting Beartrap Stomp |