Jim Dickinson: 1941 - 2009 - News

Jim Dickinson: 1941 - 2009

9:36 AM GMT 17/08/2009

Jim Dickinson, producer, musician and one of Southern music's foremost sonic architects, died in Memphis on Saturday following a three-month battle with heart problems. He was 67.

During his 40-year career, the Mississippi-born Dickinson worked with a host of music legends including Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Big Star, Sam & Dave, Ry Cooder and the Rolling Stones. Credited with creating the Memphis Sound - a heady mix of rock, pop, gospel, country and R&B - Dickinson's studio suss and natural musician's touch endeared him to the likes of Keith Richards and Alex Chilton.

In a 2008 interview with the Associated Press he said: "as a producer, it really is all about taste. And I'm not the greatest piano player in the world, but I've got damn good taste. I'll sit down and go taste with anybody."

Dickinson's credentials as a musician were impeccable. He played piano on the Stones' Wild Horses and The Flamin' Groovies' Teenage Head and over the years his songs have been sung by Dylan, Albert King and The Flying Burrito Brothers. 1971's *Dixie Fried - a gem of a solo album co-produced with Southern soul hero Tom Dowd and delivered by the Dickinson-led Dixie Flyers - showcased his talents as a great song stylist.

In later years, he worked with an eclectic range of artists including Mudhoney, Primal Scream and Amy Lavere. His two sons, Luther and Cody, lead the North Mississippi Allstars.

Speaking to MOJO in 1994, Dickinson said: "A record retains your soul. Many people don't understand that".

A full obituary will appear in a future issue of MOJO magazine.

Posted by Ross_Bennett at 9:36 AM GMT 17/08/2009

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