Delbert McClinton never ‘Givin' It Up' when it comes to music

Delbert McClinton

Delbert McClinton didn't exactly make a good trade back in grade school - unless you take into account that it helped set him on a course for the rest of life. In the sixth grade McClinton saw a school friend's crystal set - a simple radio built from a kit.

"I traded him an SS German officer's dagger for a $2 crystal set," says McClinton from his home in Nashville. He knows it was a terrible trade, "but it was like listening to God's own radio."

McClinton grew up to be one of honky-tonk/country R&B's most consistent talents. He's never become a huge star. His only Top 10 hits are 1980's "Givin' It Up for Your Love" and "Tell Me About It" (a duet with Tanya Tucker), but he's never stopped working and never stopped selling albums. He's preparing for his 17th Sandy Beaches Cruise - on Jan. 7 - and if anything, McClinton is more popular now than ever.

Growing up in Lubbock and Fort Worth, Texas, McClinton was exposed to the world through the radio. He says he loved listening to the variety of AM stations he could pick up, including the unregulated Mexican stations that beamed 100,000-plus watts into the States.

"On XERF you could send off and get an autographed picture of Jesus! I'm not kidding."

Ignoring the mores that kept black and white artists apart, McClinton fell in love with blues and R&B and eventually ended up backing up great artists who came through town.

"They were my heroes and I got to play with them! I knew I was in the right place at the right time."

McClinton would play with Jimmy Reed, Sonny Boy Williamson and Big Joe Turner in white clubs in Fort Worth and perform at black clubs on the next night.

McClinton says one of the biggest motivations for playing music was to keep from having a "real job."

He says his only forays into the 8-hour-shift world was, "doing jobs a smart monkey could do."

He recalls that in 1960 he was working in bands until 11 p.m. and then rushing to a midnight shift job checking brass connectors.

"For every one I could check, 40 more would spit out," he says.

Music was another matter.

He says it was about "loving something so hard and be willing to do whatever it takes to be able to do it."

In 1962, McClinton was playing with Bruce Channel and was responsible for the harmonica on Channel's hit "Hey, Baby." While on tour in Europe, he gave some harmonica playing tips to John Lennon in the then little-known Beatles.

McClinton also honed his skills as a songwriter.

"I don't read music and I can't write music, but ever since I was a little kid I always had a song in my head," says McClinton.

He says the subject of his songs has always been "Joe Blow getting through life," and writing them can be an ongoing process.

"I've had songs that just poured out and songs that took me 20 years to finish. A couple of times I can recall after 20 years that last verse just popped out."

McClinton's career has remained fairly consistent since the 1980s, but early in the 2000s, he got a lot of love from Jill Conner Browne's "The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love," which cited McClinton as a favorite. He suddenly found a new and enthusiastic audience.

"That sort of came out of left field," says McClinton. "The first thing I had to do was get the book and read it to find out who the Sweet Potato Queens were. But it was great. Who doesn't want people talking about 'em - and they love me!"

McClinton says the economy has affected his business just like anybody's, but he's happy. He's proud that his son Clay McClinton recently released an album called "Living Out Loud." He's looking forward to performing with friends on his cruise, and the music seems to never stop.

"It's a wonderful position to be in - and I deserve it!" McClinton laughs. "It's the closest thing to magic I know, except watching a baby being born."

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