| |
| | CMT.com : Willie Mitchell : Biography (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20) |
 | | Born on March 23, 1928, in Ashland, MS, Mitchell was raised in Memphis, TN, and began studying music and arranging at an early age, taking up the trumpet at the age of eight and learning from pianist Ozie Horn (as well as drawing from such influences as Roy Eldridge and Harry James). |
 | | By 1959, Mitchell had turned his attention to studio work and he signed on with Hi Records; he is often credited as being the creator of the oft-copied and instantly recognizable Hi sound (churning organ fills, sturdy horn arrangements, a steady 4/4 drumbeat, etc.). |
 | | Mitchell continues to sporadically issue solo albums, but still continuously produces recordings for other artists, including Otis Clay, Jimmy King, Preston Shannon, and O.V. Wright, among others. |
| www.cmt.com /artists/az/mitchell_willie/bio.jhtml (377 words) |
|