Jo Jo Adams
By Marv Goldberg
© 2024 by Marv Goldberg
"Doctor Jo-Jo Adams", was a singer, MC, comedian, and dancer, with a distinctive voice, who was big on the Chicago club scene in the 1940s and 1950s. He must have been something to see on stage, wearing wild, colored suits with incredibly long tails. He later said: "I introduced color to the stage. My tailor-made tails that were 55 inches long - when I spun around you could shoot dice on them!"
Nothing strange about his name over the years. It could be "Doctor", "Doc", or "Dr."; "Jo Jo", "Jo-Jo", "JoJo", or even "Joe Joe".
However, that was just his stage name. Researching his family isn't that simple.
He (we'll get to his actual name in a bit) was born in August 1918 in Brundidge, Alabama. The date he gave on his World War 2 draft registration was August 7, but Social Security has both August 3 and August 4.
It took days of digging to find out that his father was Moses J. "Mose" Adams. (Usually referred to as "M. J. Adams", he was a preacher from Dothan, Alabama, about 45 miles south of Brundidge.) His mother was Jessie Lee Wilkins. On their November 26, 1915 marriage certificate, she was 19 and he was 39.
Okay, no big deal. So I had to do a lot of digging. So what? Funny you should ask. In the 1920 census. They were living in Dothan. There's Moses J. Adams, Jessie Adams, Ozola and Mildred Adams (presumably daughters from some prior marriage), and Mose J. Adams, who's one year and three months. Little Mose's age ties in, to one month, of Jo Jo's; Therefore, he was named Moses Joel Adams, Jr. at birth (but don't get too used to it; it'll change).
Of course, it will get screwier as time goes by. Moses and Jessie divorced sometime between that census and 1927, after which, both remarried. Jessie married Junius Archer in 1928 and more fun ensued. Let's look at the 1930 census in two stages:
1. Junius and Jessie Archer are living in Portsmouth City, Virginia. One of the questions asked was "Age At First Marriage"; they both gave ages that were two years in the past, therefore married in 1928 (although Jessie told a tiny fib about it being her first marriage). With them are his two step-children: Joel D. Adams (11) and Moselnor Adams (13; her name seems to be a conflation of "Moses" and "Eleanor"). Therefore, after the divorce, Jessie re-named Mose Jr to Joel Daniel Adams, the name he'd be known by for the rest of his life. It took his sister longer to be re-named, but by the time she set up her Social Security account, in Chicago, in 1937, she was Eleanor Lathell Adams. (Notice how the preacher named both children after himself.) The question the astute will be asking now is: since Moselnor was two years older than Joel (born November 23, 1916), how come she isn't in the 1920 census with her parents and little Mose? The answer is simple: I have no idea.
2. I'm always complaining that I can't find people in censuses. Not to worry. Those two kids turned up a second time in 1930. Moselnor Adams and Joel D. Adams were enumerated with the family of Columbus and Armilla Wilkins in Brundidge, Alabama (they just happened to be Jessie's parents). So where were the children actually living? Repeat after me: "I have no idea".
Before we leave the happy family, let me report that Joel kept in touch with his father. When M. J. Adams died, on December 20, 1956, his heirs included Mozelle Crutcher and Joel Adams, both of 1141 South Independence Blvd., Chicago. Since Eleanor Lathell Adams ended up married to someone named Crutcher, we'll just assume that it's her, not question why it's "Mozelle", and move on. The Huntsville, Alabama Mirror had this on January 12, 1957:
Mr. Joel Adams stage and movie actor has been in Dothan for several days, since the death of his father, Rev. Mose Adams, founder of the Ladies Aid Union Society. Rev. Adams died a few days ago. He reached a nice old age.
Lots of sites say Joel Adams sang with the Big Four Gospel Jubilee Singers before moving to Chicago, but I can't find any mention of that group, let alone his participation. Although I can't pin down a year, his Social Security number was issued in Illinois. He and his mother were living there no later than 1940, although I can't find either in the 1940 census (see how the Universe balances things out).
When Joel Daniel Adams filled out his World War 2 draft registration on October 16, 1940, he listed his employer as the Lenox Grille in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, there were never any ads for the place, but we now know that he was an entertainer as early as this. The "Name Of Person Who Will Always Know Your Address" was Mrs. Jessie Lee Archer, his mother, who had a Chicago address on Bowen Avenue. (And remember that his sister was in Chicago by 1937, so it's reasonable to suspect that Joel was too.)
However, that's the only time we ever hear of Joel Adams appearing anywhere. By the next time he's mentioned (in the July 8, 1944 Chicago Defender), it's as "Jo Jo Adams", who's just been added to Sammy Dyer's "Yankee Doodle Hayride" revue at Chicago's Club DeLisa. It also had the Red Saunders band, comedian Flink Moore, and the Rimmer Sisters. [Note that if I don't mention what city a club is in, it's Chicago, where he made most of his appearances.]
Jo Jo was still there at year's end, as part of the new "Holly Berries Of 1944" revue. He was described as "the man who sings the blues". Flink Moore was still there too; Lurlean Hunter and the Berry Brothers had been added.
The DeLisa kept staging new Sammy Dyer revues. By February 1945, it was "Sweetheart Time", with Jo Jo, Flink Moore, Lurlean Hunter, and Memphis Minnie.
But by October, Dr. Jo Jo Adams ("famous blues singer"; seemingly the first use of "Dr.") was at Chicago's Ritz Lounge, along with Bobbe Caston, Rhythm Willie (harmonica), and Frankie Walker (dancer).
Then, it was off to the Hurricane Lounge, for a show that began on December 13. The December 15 Chicago Defender called him "famed blues chirper".
In January or February 1946 he made his first recordings, "Jo-Jo Blues " (a long song that was split into a Part 1 and Part 2), "Don't Give It Away", and "Corine", all with bandleader Freddie Williams. They initially came out on Williams' own Melody Lane Record Shop label. "Jo-Jo Blues" was in the "New Releases" section of a Chicago music store ad in the February 23 Chicago Defender. "Corine" wasn't on that list until March.
However, only a few weeks later, Freddie Williams became partners with Nathan Rothner, who didn't like the name of the label. (Let's face it, "Melody Lane Record Shop" was a clumsy name and it reflected that it was Williams' shop.) They created the Hy-Tone label in late March (most pressings done by Mercury) and both records were re-released (with the same record numbers) on Hy-Tone in April.
By that time Billboard had already talked about both Melody Lane records in a single review (March 16, 1946):
Adams, a swing blues shouter currently bringing payees into a Southside Negro nitery, does three of his own original blues, with the "Corinne" [sic] side, the only standard in the lot, being the best of the four. "Jo-Jo Blues", a two-sider, is pretty routine lyrics and melody, while "Don't Give It Away" packs better lyrics and tempo.
"Corrine" [sic] has the individuality to attract listeners in any race location.
I like all of them, although they're probably right about "Corine" being the best.
For some reason, Jo Jo headed out to Los Angeles at this point, opening at the Club Alabam in May as both a singer and MC (he was first mentioned there in a May 23 California Eagle column).
Not long after, on June 11, 1946, he made some recordings for Aladdin Records, along with Maxwell Davis And His Band: "Thursday Evening Blues", "Hard-Headed Woman Blues", "Jo Jo's Troubles", "Disgusted", "When I'm In My Tea" (a song about marijuana), and "Upstairs". However, it's unclear when Aladdin released them. "When I'm In My Tea", backed with "Hard-Headed Woman Blues" (Aladdin 144) was in Billboard's July 20 Advance Record Releases column (as were other Aladdin artists with both lower and higher numbers). It was even being advertised in record store ads from August, but his other Aladdin releases, with lower record numbers, never appeared in the Advance column. Without anything else to go on, I'll say that all three Aladdin releases came out around July 1946:
"Thursday Evening Blues" / "Disgusted"
"Jo Jo's Troubles" / "Upstairs"
"When I'm In My Tea" / "Hard-Headed Woman Blues"
By the time of the June 27 Club Alabam ad, the show also had Ceelle Burke's Afro-Cuban Orchestra (which had recently ended an 8-year run at the Bal Tabarin) and the Johnny Otis Combo. The show's write-up in the July 4 California Eagle said: "Jo Jo Adams will also be present too, giving his clever interpretation of any and all kinds of blues." [Yes, I know that using "also" and "too" is redundant.]
To give you an idea of the junk I have to wade through, this was in the June 27 California Eagle:
While watchin' JoJo Adams, the doctor of the blues, in action at the Club Alabam t'other nite, a disgruntled "chickadee" remarked to a fren: if that guy ever goes to buy a hat, he'll have to hire BLACK SWAN to haul his head!!! Now why would she say a thing like that??? [More to the point, why would any paper print a thing like that??? I suppose "Black Swan" is a reference to a race horse who ran at several area tracks at the time.]
Jo Jo was back in Chicago by the time Billboard reviewed four of the six Aladdin sides on November 2, 1946:
Tenor saxman Maxwell Davis corrals an eight-man group to set the lowdown scene for Jo-Jo Adams's vocal rasping. Latter turns on the weeps to chant Thursday Evening in a righteous manner. Muted trumpet intros restrained ork backing as he tells why he's Disgusted with his unfaithful woman. Trumpet comes back to ride the bridge between choruses, maintaining the mood throughout. Too much dialogue in I'm In My Tea detracts from a well-phrased tenor sax's solo work. Trumpet growls the intro for Adams's solid style of blues shouting for Hard-Headed Woman. Baritone and tenor saxes are worked well against each other with the trumpet cutting in for a couple of licks. [Sounds like they're much more interested in the band than in Jo Jo.]
All sides pack money-making promise for race spot ops.
They never reviewed the third record, "Jo Jo's Troubles", backed with "Upstairs". The melody to the latter song is very reminiscent of one with the same title done by the Piccadilly Pipers the prior year, although the lyrics are different.
An interesting sentence in Mrs. J.T. Gipson's November 28, 1946 California Eagle column: "I guess the angel city [Los Angeles] just didn't appreciate the blues singing of Jo Jo Adams cause the windy city [Chicago] is wild about his blues (I don't know bout the angel city - but his blues vocals didn't move me in the least)." Everyone's a critic.
Probably in December 1946, Jo Jo did some more recording for Hy-Tone, this time with Floyd Smith's Combo: "I'm Weak For You", "I Get The Blues Every Morning , "Around The Watch" (another long one that was split into two parts), and "Voodit". The sixth song was an instrumental, "Floyd's Guitar Blues", which Smith had originally done when he'd been with Andy Kirk.
In March 1947, Hy-Tone released "I'm Weak For You", backed with "Floyd's Guitar Blues". They were reviewed in the April 12 Billboard:
Ex-Andy Kirk git-star, Floyd Smith, fronts a five-piecer here, highlighting his own fine single string and chord amplified work. First is a remake, only with a small combo, of his Decca sepia series hit. Side shows that Smith's long service stint didn't dull his technique and he offers some of the finest simulations of a doleful human voice on record. Reverse is a stereotype blues, that picks up plenty to commend it from the vigorous throating of Jo-Jo Adams. Adams is one of those firey vibrato singers of the Eddie Vinson school, who always wins race interest
Race taprooms will want either side on their boxes. [I'm confused. Can I just get one side?]
In June, Jo Jo was back at the DeLisa in a new Sammy Dyer revue called "Hip, Hip Hoo Red". It starred Red Saunders, who was welcomed back to the DeLisa after a two-year absence. Once again, Lurlean Hunter was in it, as were Viola Kemp and George Kirby.
A strange almost-sentence in the July 12, 1947 Chicago Defender: "The Butcher boys say they gave Joe Jo Adams [sic], the DeLisa blues singer a $25 deposit to sing at the Grand Terrace Friday night and he didn't show up which is the reason they [the sentence never ended, but it probably wouldn't have had any commas anyway]...."
In July 1947, Jo Jo recorded four songs for Aristocrat Records, backed up by saxophonist Tom Archia And His All Stars: "Love Me", "Drinkin' Blues", "If I Feel Like This Tomorrow", and "Cryin' By My Window". It took Billboard until October 11 to mention his signing (Cash Box chimed in two days later). The guitarist was probably Floyd Smith.
Jo Jo was at Chicago's Pershing Ballroom on August 30, along with Dinah Washington. The guest of honor that night was Dave Garroway, a DJ on WMAQ (in the days before his partnership with J. Fred Muggs).
It's called "simulkinesis": the ability to be in two places at once:
On October 3, 1947, Jo Jo and Bobbe Caston were the headline acts at Raymond "Sportree" Jackson's Music Bar in Detroit; Todd Rhodes' band was also there. The October 11 ad said "Now Playing". The October 18 Detroit Tribune had this: "Todd and his crew also furnishes the musical background for Dr. Jo Jo Adams, one of the 'gonest' blues singers in the biz. His style of blues singing is different from the rest you've heard. It moves you from your head to the bottom of your feet. A real gone guy that Jo Jo Adams."
However, there's an ad for the recently-opened W.C. Handy Theater in Memphis, Tennessee that has Dr. Jo Jo Adams and his Chicago Follies playing there. That ad was in the Sunday, October 5 Commercial Appeal and said that it would start on Thursday (presumably October 9) for "four big days". It looks like the Handy always started their stage shows on a Thursday and ran them for four days. But Jo Jo was definitely at Sportree's that whole time. What's really odd is that the theater usually didn't run ads. Since the paper was a daily, there's no confusion as to which week they meant. I confirmed the dates of both papers and, as I'm fond of saying, I have no explanation.
In November, Aristocrat released "Love Me", backed with "Drinkin' Blues". The November 8, 1947 Cleveland Call And Post had this in Bob Williams' column:
"Jo Jo" Adams raised the roof in the Mexicali spot last week with his engaging and scintillating style, attired in flowing tails and effervescent personality which captured the attention of all and sundry and many an escorted chickadee was seen to cast a wistful glance towards the revolving musical bar. [Probably having fantasies about missing commas.]
The "Mexicali spot" refers to Cleveland's Cafe Tia Juana, whose ad said:
Presenting "Jo Jo" Adams. Dancing and singing the blues in scintillating tails and personality that will send him right into your heart!
Direct from Detroit's Sportree Club, Jo Jo recently concluded a long run of four years as featured house attraction at Chicago's Club Delisa. [Well, it was around a year, but they were close.]
Hear his "Round The Clock Blues" [sic].
Jo Jo's "Around The Watch" (which hadn't yet been released, although he'd been singing it at shows), fit in perfectly with the "Round The Clock" songs that were current at the time: "Around The Clock" - Big Vernon (Big Joe Turner); "Round The Clock Blues" - Joe Turner; "Blues Around The Clock" - Willie Bryant; "Half Way 'Round The Clock" - Jack Cooley & His Savoy Trio; "Around The Clock" - Wynonie Harris; "Round The Clock Blues" - Pedro Johnson; and "Jimmy's Round-The-Clock Blues" - Jimmy Rushing. These were all similar songs, released between 1945 and 1947, about having sex for hours on end.
And, on November 15: "Also held over at the Tia Juana, which has brought dapper, professional waiters to enliven its ultra exclusive service, was the scintillating "Jo Jo" Adams, dancer and blues singer deluxe, whose risqué soul-stirrers never seem to tire."
Around January 1948, Hy-Tone released "Around The Watch, Parts 1 & 2", which had been recorded over a year earlier. These were followed, in February, by "I Get The Blues Every Morning", backed with "Voodit", both from that same session. Since the Petrillo Ban had just gone into effect (forbidding union musicians to record), record companies were pulling things out of the vaults. Since Hy-Tone waited so long to release these sides, it may be that they hadn't originally planned to release them at all.
In March, he was back at the Club DeLisa in Sammy Dyer's latest revue, "Broadway Nights". It also had Red Saunders, Lurlean Hunter, Flink Moore, and the Rimmer Sisters. The March 27 Chicago Defender said: "'Dr. Adams' is so named because of his solid handling of blues." That sentence makes no sense to me at all.
Also in March, Aristocrat released "If I Feel Like This Tomorrow", backed with "Cryin' By My Window", around nine months old by now.
In 1948, the Chicago Defender held a talent poll. As popular as Jo Jo was in Chicago, in the June 21 standings, he was 21st in a field of 21 (Billy Eckstine and Bull Moose Jackson took top honors). When the final results were tallied (in the June 26 edition), they only showed the top 16 finishers; Jo Jo wasn't among them. (This was the only poll he ever showed up on.)
On June 11, Dr. Jo Jo Adams became part of Larry Steele's new show at the Beige Room, in the basement of Chicago's Pershing Hotel. The June 12 Chicago Defender said: "Not for some time has a night club boasted as many Broadway stars as Larry is bringing into the Beige Room Friday night." However, Jo Jo wasn't a Broadway star and the only other act named was Louis & White, although it didn't say what they did.
In August 1948, Aristocrat released "Cabbage Head" as a 2-part disc. It's a fairly dumb song about a man whose cheating wife can come up with any kind of story that no sober man could possibly believe. It was recorded live at one of DJ Al Benson's jam sessions early in the year, and then offered to Aristocrat. With the musicians ban in place, record companies got recordings where they could.
In mid-September, Jo Jo was still at the Beige Room, now with Andrew Tibbs. Right after that, he was booked into the Ritz Lounge with Joe Williams.
The January 22, 1949 Chicago Defender noted that Jo Jo had been signed by Aristocrat Records, along with the Dozier Boys, Tiny Davis, Andrew Tibbs, Sax Mallard, and Muddy Waters. Someone forgot that Jo Jo's first Aristocrat record had been released in November 1947 (Tibbs' was from around the same time). At the time, Jo Jo was appearing at the West End Waiters Club in St. Louis.
In May Jo Jo was at the Bon Aire Lounge in Chicago (said the May 7 Indianapolis Recorder). It's a good thing they told us, because the May 21 Chicago World mentioned that "Jo-Jo Adams, the famous blues shouter, is doing a terrific job as a drawing card and also is breaking all records.", but it didn't bother to say where he was a drawing card.
Jo Jo appeared in the 1949 film "Burlesque in Harlem", singing and dancing to a risqué version of "The Hucklebuck". The movie also had comedians Pigmeat Markham, Vivian Harris, and George Wiltshire, as well as some "exotic dancers". Jo Jo's dancing is yawn-producing, but it's fun to look at the long tails on his jacket.
The movie was probably filmed in New York, although while there, he made no known appearances. This makes no sense to me. Jo Jo was known as an MC, as well as an entertainer, but the MC spot in the film went to Dick Barrow. Why would they bother to bring Jo Jo in, when there were plenty of entertainers in New York who could have been used? While Dick Barrow wasn't from New York, he was at least appearing there at the time. The picture doesn't seem to have been shown anywhere before May 1951, and Jo Jo's name wasn't in any ad for the film prior to March 1953. A July 1953 ad called it "The Picture That Rocked New York", although I can't find any instance of it ever having been shown there!
Supposedly he started appearing with Memphis Slim's Houserockers and Terry Timmons, in Chicago, in 1950. However, I can't find a single mention of them together. Slim isn't mentioned in the press until December 2, 1950, when he was at Ralph's Club. At the same time, Jo Jo (who also hadn't been mentioned so far that year) was in another Club DeLisa show ("Sepia Parisian Night") with Red Saunders and a host of performers I never heard of.
By March 1951, Jo Jo himself was at Ralph's Club, but there was no indication that Memphis Slim was still there. In June, he was joined by Lil Green, along with Jack Cooley's band.
But, on October 12, 1951, it was up to Detroit, where he opened at the Frolic Show Bar along with Savannah Churchill and the Striders. He remained at the club until November 15.
The December 8 Detroit Tribune said:
Dr. Jo Jo Adams, closing weekend dates at the RG Club in Flint [Michigan], heads now for Art Bragg's new hundred-grand Parkway Arena in Saginaw [Michigan] with a big show line for the good people in that area.
March 21, 1952 found Jo Jo as part of Larry Steele's "Smart Affairs Of '52" revue at Chicago's Regal Theater. Also on the show were the 3 Chocolateers, Butterbeans & Susie, and the Congaroos. In June, he was at the Flame Show Club in Chicago.
In October, Dr. Jo Jo recorded five known songs for Chance Records in Chicago, along with trumpeter Melvin Moore's Orchestra: "Upstairs", "Mr. Horn", Tears In My Eyes" "Didn't I Tell You", and "I've Got A Crazy Baby". In November, Chance issued "I've Got A Crazy Baby" and "Didn't I Tell You", which were reviewed in the December 20, 1952 Billboard:
I've Got A Crazy Baby (74): Good material here and a strong, beatful reading from Adams with the combo supplying a good backing.
Didn't I Tell You (74): Another good side from the good Doctor.
In December, Jo Jo began a long association with Allyne Nixon's Flame Lounge. This was the start of the "Jo Jo Show", a revue with a constantly changing cast, that would go on for a couple of years.
Here's one that threw me. The title of the July 4, 1953 blurb in the Chicago Defender was "Loretta Adams In Motor City". It read:
Loretta Adams, former wife of blues chirper Jo-Jo Adams, dancer turned singer, makes her singing debut this week when she jumps into one of the most popular night spots in downtown Detroit, the 509.
Loretta is a wonderful ballad singer who also jumps the blues. Critics are predicting that she will go places as a singer.
Remember how I'm always saying that "critics" (who remain unnamed) is a word that has no meaning whatever? Here's the perfect example. This is the only mention ever of Loretta Adams. And when I say ever, I can't even find her linked to Jo Jo except in that blurb. I guess she was his wife once, but there are no marriage or divorce records. I have no idea who she was.
In September 1953, Jo Jo had his last recording session, this time for Parrot Records. He was backed up by a Red Saunders band (uncredited), with arrangements by Sun Ra (also uncredited). The four songs were: "It's Been So Long", "Corine" (one of the songs he'd done at his very first Melody Lane session), "Call My Baby", and "Rebecca" (a la Big Joe Turner). The latter two were released in early November and reviewed in the November 21 Billboard and the November 28 Cash Box:
Rebecca (BB; 73): Lend me your love, sings Jo Jo, because you can't take it with you. This is the r.&b. switch on "Gather Your Rosebuds While You May." Ditty is traditional blues in construction, with interesting lyrics. [He was close; the quote should have been "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may", the first line of the 17th Century Robert Herrick poem, "To The Virgins, To Make Much Of Time".]
Call My Baby (BB; 72): Jo Jo Adams sings a good blues on this side. Vocalist and band backing him achieve a swinging relaxed effect.
Rebecca (CB; B): Adams handles a chuckley item with light hearted advice to his gal. Suggestive, but not too much so.
Call My Baby (CB; B+): Jo Jo Adams with a distinctive and pleasing styling, sings a middle tempo blues bounce against a background of solid orking. Etching a peppery deck that moves.
And then, Jo Jo got into some trouble. This was in the October 9, 1953 Kansas City Call, titled "Four Blazes Threaten To Sue Jo Jo":
CHICAGO - (ANP) - The Four Blazes, popular singing and recording group, consulted attorneys here last week about entering suit against singer Jo-Jo Adams, who recently made a flying trip to Atlanta to do a one-nite stand for Promoter B. B. Beamon. Adams was billed as the writer and singer of the tune "Mary Joe" [sic] on United Records.
The Blazes claim that the blues singing Jo-Jo has been capitalizing on their name for a long time, telling fans that he was the singer featured with the Four Blazes on the tune "Mary Joe" [sic]. In reality, they claim Thomas Braden wrote the tune and sang it on the United recording.
Braden, whose voice has a slight resemblance to that of Adams, is the writer of most of the hit tunes featured by the Blazes on their recordings, including "Not Any More Tears", "Mary Joe" [sic], and their current hit "The Perfect Woman".
The Blazes advised newsmen that Thomas Braden, not Jo-Jo Adams, is the featured singer on their recordings.
While still at the Flame Show Lounge, Jo Jo appeared, on November 28, at the Regal Theatre, as part of DJ McKie Fitzhugh's variety show. Al Benson was the MC and Charlie Parker, T-Bone Walker, Ben Webster, Muddy Waters, and Eddie Boyd were all present.
In mid-December, Laura Lynn was added to the Flame's Jo Jo Show, which also had two bands: Melvin Moore's and Mel Scott's Combo. In late January, Joe Williams and Willie Mabon had become part of the show.
By the end of July 1954, Andrew Tibbs was part of the Jo Jo Show, as well as Shirley Harvey and Jump Jackson's band. Tibbs was still there in November, at which time Tiny Akins and Mel Scott's orchestra were also advertised. The same names were there in early February 1955, with Jerry Mitchell having been added.
A June 11, 1955 ad from the Rhythm And Blues Booking Agency advertised that they now had available the Daffodils, the Fortunes, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Jump Jackson's Orchestra, and Dr. Jo Jo Adams. Another name on the list was Bob White; was this the Bob White who'd been with Emitt Slay?
On July 2 and 3, 1955, Jo Jo was part of an Al Benson show at Chicago's Trianon Ballroom. Others on the stage were the El Dorados, Floyd Dixon, L.C. McKinley, the Orchids, the Diablos, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and the Red Holloway Orchestra.
On August 18, 1955, the Flame Lounge held a birthday party celebration for Jo Jo. His birthday was in August, but not the 18th.
In mid-September, Jo Jo's Flame show had the orchestras of Jump Jackson and Mel Scott, whose band included Willie Jones (piano), Bettye Dupree (bass), and Phil Thomas (drums).
More confusion for me: the November 26, 1955 Pittsburgh Courier had this: "Ray Washington, acrobatic dancer, and Ann Bolin, daughter of Dr. JoJo Adams, have formed a team. This is Washington's first stage attempt after an eleven-year layoff." There was never another mention of "Ann Bolin" and Washington was doing a single act in 1956. So who was Ann Bolin? No one by that name was ever associated with Jo Jo, except in that blurb. The only possibility is Anna Bolin, born November 2, 1935 in Chicago. Her mother was also named Anna Bolin. In 1940, both were living in Chicago. The mother says she's married, but there's no husband. There was never another mention of either, and nothing to tie those two to Jo Jo.
The March 29, 1956 Chicago Defender said:
Dr. Jo Jo Adams, a big favorite in night club circles, is back at the Flame lounge as producer and star in the floor show.
Adams, a great showman, is one of the country's top singers. His blues style has been copied by more singers than any other artist in these parts.
Notice two things: (1) he's back at the Flame, even though there's nothing saying that he ever left, and (2) not a single artist who copied his style is named. Any number of local talent might have copied his style, but if so, they left behind no recordings.
On March 30, he began a series of appearances at Herman Roberts' Roberts Lounge every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through the end of May. He was still at the Flame during this time.
I'm not sure, but I don't think this is him (from the April 14 Chicago Tribune):
Roger Rempert, 13, of 9133 Bishop st., an eighth grader at Fort Dearborn school, was an immediate hit with Jo-Jo, a 4 foot high robot with a potato chip can head, a lard can torso, wooden legs, and oversized feet. Jo-Jo, controlled by Roger from a panel studded with switches, will shake hands, pick things off a table, run around the room, and flash lights from the top of his head. [My doubt is based on the account not saying anything about it having a coat with long tails.]
Said the April 16, 1956 Chicago Defender:
The Flame lounge, Allyne Nixon's hot spot located at 809 Oakwood is the cradle of rock 'n roll and gets real groovy Monday mornings when weekly breakfast parties are staged.
Dr. Jo Jo Adams, blues king, is in charge of the amusement program with several top swingsters kicking in with their talent.
And then, he was gone from the Flame. On July 9, 1956, he started at Cleveland's Ebony Lounge, along with Nellie Hill. It's possible the Flame had closed for a while because it changed ownership. It had been purchased by "Pretty" Mary Davis and seems to have opened again in mid-August.
By late July, Jo Jo was back at the Club DeLisa, along with Red Saunders. A month later, he was putting on his own revue there: "Rock And Roll Capers". It also starred Red Saunders, the Anjoel Haitian Trio, Johnny McAfee, Jo Ann Henderson, Jackie Greenwood, and Barbara Anne. Did the music have anything to do with Rock 'N Roll? Probably little or nothing, but it was a great catchphrase to lure in customers.
Jo Jo had returned to the Flame by October 9. He'd remain there for the rest of the year, after which it seems to have gone out of business for good.
As I mentioned earlier, his father died in late December 1956 and Jo Jo returned to Dothan, Alabama for the funeral. The rest of that January 12, 1957 Huntsville, Alabama Mirror article said:
Several friends and fans of Mr. Joel Adams are glad to see him in the Wiregrass area again. And the home town citizens are proud of their hometown boy making good. Dothanians saw Mr. Adams in Harlem Burlesque movie film, at the now closed Carver Theater, on West North Street a few years ago, and he resides in Chicago, Ill., where he began his stage career in the 1930s.
Boy, is that badly written. Note that nowhere does it say that "Joel Adams" calls himself "Jo Jo Adams". Unless Dothanians were eagerly following his career over the years, they might not have even known what the writer was talking about.
By late April 1957, Jo Jo was the headliner at the Stage Lounge. The April 25 Chicago Defender described it as "amusement crazed and blues grooved".
Chicago disc jockey McKie Fitzhugh (WOPA) had a nightclub called the Disc Jockey Lounge, and on May 14, Jo Jo headed up the entertainment. He was scheduled to be there each Monday and Tuesday from then on.
[On June 6, the Disc Jockey Lounge honored WGES DJ Richard "Open The Door Richard" Stamz. I mention this because, when he died in June 2007 at the age of 101, he was still on the air as the oldest man in radio.]
The June 10, 1957 Chicago Defender said:
Dr. Jo Jo Adams, master of the blues, returns to the Disc Jockey lounge tonight and tomorrow night for his usual weekly stints.
Adams will be part of the big mambo and cha cha festival in the hot spot tonight. He will of course add his blues chirping voice to the doings and supply request numbers provided by guests in the house and also those called in for the McKie Fitzhugh (WOPA) broadcast, another feature at the lounge.
There is something different at the lounge nightly, but nothing offered is more popular than the Jo Jo Adams performances. Jo Jo is a big favorite in Chicago and the Midwest. This accounts for so many out of town visitors witnessing his Monday and Tuesday night shows.
On Sunday afternoon, July 14, Jo Jo and Tom Archia were at Cadillac Bob's Budland Cafe, along with Sun Ra's modern jazz band.
Budland, in the basement of the Pershing Hotel, was formerly the Beige Room, where Jo Jo had performed in 1948. It had, until recently, been called "Birdland", but Cadillac Bob (whose real name was Robert Cherry) was threatened with a lawsuit by the owners of the New York City club of the same name. Birdland ads had a little bird logo and ads for Budland kept that for a while, at least into October. Since "Budland" really doesn't mean anything, it's possible that the name was chosen by Sun Ra (he said he'd come up with it and no one disputed it).
Jo Jo was the MC at Budland for the rest of 1957 and all of 1958. He seemed to be there just on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which dripped over into Monday morning breakfast dances (starting at 4:00 AM). Tom Archia had run the band there, but got into an altercation with Jo Jo in August and abruptly quit. According to testimony given before Musicians Local 208 on October 17, 1957:
Archia had stated at previous Board meetings that he and Jo-Jo had an argument and that he was afraid that bodily harm would come to him if they continued to work together and that he left the Budland engagement because of that reason, among others.
Mr. Adams stated that he and Mr. Archia had never had an argument to his knowledge, but they did have a few words one morning after everyone had been drinking and the band seemed to think that he stayed on the floor too long. He explained that on Monday mornings, everyone drinks more than usual and there is a lot of tension about the money coming in in dribbles and that on this particular Monday morning there was a breakfast show, which they refer to as a "jam session", and that he does numbers by request and the four tunes which he sang were rather long, and Archia walked off the band stand, and they had a few words concerning this. [This could be construed as less of a union violation and more of a run-on sentence grammar violation.]
The Board reprimanded them about drinking too much while they were working and instructed Mr. Adams to refrain from making threats to musicians.
More confusion time. The May 13, 1958 Defender had a photo with this caption:
Dr. Jo Jo Adams, one of the nation's top blues singers, boasts a family of talented artists. Here, his daughter, "Miss B" Adams, a talented singer in her own right, is shown resting during rehearsal for a television show she appeared on in a guest starring role.
Another daughter? The same one as "Ann Bolin"? Once again, there's no other mention, ever, for a "Miss B" Adams. [And don't get me started on the meaningless phrase "guest starring role".]
Jo Jo was at Budland through New Year's Eve 1958, but the club wasn't doing well by that point. He isn't heard from again until May 1, 1959, when he appeared at the re-opening of the Green Door (under the new management of Mr. Stokes). Once again, he was there on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the rest of the year.
However, he took time out for the weekend of October 31 to November 1 to headline a show at Chicago's Jackson Park Theater. Also there were Piney Brown, Jean Carrol, the 5 Del Rios, and guitarist Mike "Big Mike" McKendrick (not "McKendricks" as in the ad), who'd once been in the Ali Baba Trio.
In March 1960, there was another Jo Jo Show, this time at the Hickory Pit. The Del Rios were with him, as was organist Baby Face Willette, with John Gilmore on tenor sax. There were no ads past March.
Jo Jo returned to Los Angeles in June 1960, appearing at the Flamingo Motel on Tuesday nights, although there was only a single June 9 ad. (However, I'm sure you need to know that Dewey Moss, Bill Davis, Ernest Skinner, and Oliver Coleman were the bartenders.) At the same time, he was appearing at Estelle Nathan's Intermission Room.
I don't know how long he was in Los Angeles, but he completely disappeared for five years, not being heard from again until this was printed in the July 31, 1965 Chicago Defender:
Entertainment stem was brightened this week with the return of Dr. Jo Jo Adams and Tom Archia, two of the tops. They have been appearing on West Coast since quitting Chicago several months ago. [Obviously they'd kissed and made up over the 1957 incident.]
As I said, there was only a single mention of him on the West Coast from 1960 through 1965. There were no mentions there at all of Tom Archia.
I don't have exact dates for these, but there were two 1965 records by Jo Jo Adams:
Soft 957 Mr. Temptation / I Almost Lost My Mind - 65
Troy 18 Just Two People / Hold On - 65
Both labels are from Fort Worth, Texas and aren't by him at all. "Mr. Temptation" is the only one I've heard; it's by a female singer.
The Club DeLisa had closed in 1958, but now, on the same site, The Club opened on September 1, 1965. Jo Jo was there, of course, as was Johnny Nash, dancer Crip Heard, and Butterbeans & Dixie. (Butterbeans' original partner, Susie, had died in 1963 and Dixie Gibson, sister of Albert Gibson of the 3 Chocolateers, became part of the act.) Here's the review, from the September 19, 1965 Chicago Tribune:
The Club DeLisa was a swingin' joint until it closed by request in 1958. [Owner Mike DeLisa had died.] On the historic site, at 5523 S. State St., in the heart of what the Chicago Defender used to call "Bronzeville", is a new operation called simply The Club. Out front, where the name is spelled out in big electric light bulbs that flash on and off, "Club" is outlined in neon in the field of incandescence, but the old name still comes thru every time the sign flashes on, blacked out where missing bulbs used to spell "DeLisa." And The Club very much resembles its predecessor. It's a swingin' joint.
The floor show is the biggest in town, with the best cabaret band in town. Theodore (Red) Saunders led the orchestra at the old DeLisa from 1937 until they locked the doors, and it wouldn't be official if he weren't there for this reincarnation. It's a 13-man band that sounds like Count Basie, it has terrific arrangements, the men like their work, and Red is a boss who knows what he is doing.
The room is just a little smaller than the Astrodome at Houston, but the dance floor rises about five feet, so the customers many tables back get a better perspective than the worm's-eye view at ringside. Current festivities include the old comedy team of Butterbeans and Dixie; the blues singing of Jo Jo Adams; the acrobatic dancing of Crip Heard, who has everything excepting a right leg and a right arm; the ventriloquism of Isaac Sutton and a dummy named Sammy Davis III who looks like Sammy Davis Jr.; the torch singing of Holly Maxwell; the cool singing of Johnny Nash; and the frenetic dancing of eight chorines who are called The Club Dancers, reasonably enough.
Show times officially are 10:30, 1, and 2:30, which is later than at any other club in town, but they actually start later than that - and the later the show the larger and more enthusiastic the crowd. These are night people.
In November 1966, Jo Jo was advertised as being at the Kismet Lounge every Monday night. There was only a single ad with his name, so I don't know how long he was there.
The Golden Peacock advertised the "Jo-Jo Show", Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, February 10-12, 1967. It seems to be the last time that term would be used.
But floor shows were dying out and Jo Jo's sound wasn't keeping pace with the current trends in music. There weren't many engagements left for him.
One was at Rickey's Club House Lounge, along with the Lefty Bates Combo, in November 1970.
In July 1973, Cadillac Bob, who had owned Budland, gave Jo Jo a testimonial at his current spot, "Toast Of The Town" (he'd formerly run a place with the same name back in 1953). Bob said "We gave him his laurels while he could appreciate it and his flowers so that he can smell the scent of perfume." (Chicago Defender, July 14, 1973.)
In spite of those glowing words, when Jo Jo played the Toast Of The Town in October and November 1974, Cadillac Bob managed to spell his name "Joe Joe" in the ads. Then, he switched over to Budland, where he was also referred to as "Joe Joe". But, when he was back at the Toast Of The Town in late December, they'd straightened out the spelling.
The August 23, 1975 Chicago Defender took a look back at a few blues stars like Wynonie Harris, and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. Here's what they said about Jo Jo:
And last but not least, the "Doctor of the Blues", Dr. JoJo Adams, a great showman, who scintillated in flash, clothes and gyrations, and a blues shouter supreme. Dr. JoJo carved out a niche in night club, stage and recording annals with his unique style in which his song presentation was augmented with the flair of his stage attire and tricky dancing in the band gaps. Anyone who has heard and seen Dr. JoJo in person will undoubtedly agree that he was a master in the delivery of blues tunes, both original and otherwise.
Since they mentioned it, Jo Jo had written most of the songs he'd recorded over the years.
The last mention of Jo Jo was when he was in a production called "Runnin' With The 8 Ball" on May 22, 1983. He was billed as Dr. Jo Jo Adams, but it didn't say what he did. That was the only reported instance of him performing during the last 18 years of his life.
Joel Daniel "Dr. Jo Jo" Adams died on February 27, 1988 in Chicago. Although Social Security has the date as March 5, it was reported in the March 3 Defender and the Cook County, Illinois death record also says February 27. His marital status was "widowed", although I don't know who his wife was. (It couldn't have been the Loretta Adams mentioned above, from whom he was long divorced.)
This was run in the March 3, 1988 Chicago Defender. It stops a bit short of summing up his life:
Joel Adams ... visitation 10AM, funeral 11AM, Thursday at A.R. Leak Funeral Home, 7838 Couth Cottage Grove Avenue; interment following services at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
I like Jo Jo Adams' recordings, although the one instance of his being captured on film was pretty lame. However, he was a big hit with Chicago audiences for much of the 1940s and all of the 1950s and deserves to be remembered.
Special thanks to Bob Campbell.
MELODY LANE RECORD SHOP (Freddie Williams & His Orchestra - Vocal By Dr. Jo-Jo)
12 Jo-Jo Blues, Part 1 / Part 2 - 2/46
13 Don't Give It Away / Corine - 3/46
HY-TONE (Freddie Williams & His Orchestra - Vocal by Dr. Jo-Jo)
12 Jo-Jo Blues, Part 1 / Part 2 - 4/46
13 Don't Give It Away / Corine - 4/46
ALADDIN (Jo-Jo Adams With Maxwell Davis & His Band)
142 Thursday Evening Blues / Disgusted - 7/46
143 Jo Jo's Troubles / Upstairs - 7/46
144 When I'm In My Tea / Hard-Headed Woman Blues - 7/46
HY-TONE (Floyd Smith's Combo - vocal Jo Jo Adams)
29 I'm Weak For You / Floyd's Guitar Blues (I) - 3/47
ARISTOCRAT (Tom Archia And His All Stars, Vocal By Doctor Jo Jo Adams)
801 Love Me / Drinkin' Blues - 11/47
HY-TONE (Floyd Smith's Combo - vocal Jo Jo Adams)
30 Around The Watch, Part 1 / Part 2 - ca 1/48
31 I Get The Blues Every Morning / Voodit - 2/48
ARISTOCRAT (Tom Archia And His All Stars, Vocal By Doctor Jo Jo Adams)
802 If I Feel Like This Tomorrow / Cryin' By My Window - ca 3/48
803 Cabbage Head, Part 1 / Part 2 - 8/48
(above as "Doc" Jo Jo Adams With Tom Archia's All Stars)
CHANCE (Dr. JoJo Adams with Melvin Moore's Orchestra)
1127 Didn't I Tell You / I've Got A Crazy Baby - 11/52
UNRELEASED CHANCE
Upstairs (recorded October 1952)
Mr. Horn (recorded October 1952)
Tears In My Eyes (recorded October 1952)
PARROT (Jo Jo Adams)
788 Call My Baby / Rebecca - 11/53
UNRELEASED PARROT
It's Been So Long (recorded September 1953)
Corine (recorded September 1953)
