Dave Myers
In Memorium
By: Greg Johnson
Article Reprint from the October 2001 BluesNotes
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As a member of the Four Aces, guitarist and bass player, Dave Myers, helped forge the sound of Chicago Blues into the electrical era. Considered the top rival of the Muddy Waters Band, at one point, the groups even switched harmonica players, Junior Wells and Little Walter. But, the core of the band was Dave, his guitar-playing brother, Louis, and drummer, Fred Below.
Dave Myers was born in Byhalia, Mississippi, on October 30, 1926. As a child he listened to the legendary guitarist, Lonnie Johnson, who, for a time, lived in the family's basement. As a teenager he performed at fish fries and house parties, sometimes working with well-known Blues musicians such as Memphis Minnie, Robert Nighthawk and Sonny Boy Williamson.
Along with his brother, he moved to Chicago in 1941 and the Four Aces were formed by 1945, fronted by Junior Wells on vocals and harp. They were the first electric Blues band in the city. They were also the first grouping to incorporate the rural sound into this electrical setting. Little Walter joined the band in 1952 and worked with Myers for most of the next three years, until the Myers brothers left the harmonica player and reformed the Aces with Junior Wells again for a while and then Otis Rush.
When Dave Myers first came to Chicago, he had been playing rhythm guitar behind his brother. But, in 1958, he switched over to the electric bass, becoming one of the very first Bluesmen in Chicago to do so and earning him the nickname, "Thumper". Over the following 40 years, he would play and record with a virtual who's who of the Chicago Blues scene. He appeared on hundreds of records by artists such as, J.B. Hutto, Roosevelt Sykes, Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy; Otis Spann, Robert Lockwood Jr., and many others. He released his only solo recording in 2000 called, "You Can't Do That", on the Black Top label, featuring Kim Wilson and Rusty Zinn as guest artists.
Due to complications stemming from diabetes, Myers left leg was amputated in March of 2000. His condition had worsened within the past few months, causing him to cancel his scheduled appearance at this year's Chicago Blues Festival. He underwent surgery to have his right leg amputated on August 29th. Never fully recovering from the surgery, Dave Myers died on September 3, 2001, at the Waterfront Terrace Nursing Home in Chicago. He would have been 75 in October.
The funeral for Myers was held on Chicago's South Side at the Rayner Funeral Home. Many of the city's greatest Bluesmen attended to honor the passing of one of their own. Among those present were Pinetop Perkins, Billy Boy Arnold, Willie Kent, Eddie C. Campbell, Billy Branch, Jimmie Lee Robinson, Little Smokey Smothers, and many more. Dave Myers is survived by his son, David Jr., two sisters, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
© 2001 Cascade Blues Association