David "Fathead" Newman: Biography

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• Discography
• Biography
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• Red Holloway
• Lou Donaldson
• Stanley Turrentine
• Hank Crawford
• Jimmy Forrest
• James Clay
• Rusty Bryant

• Ray Charles
• Sonny Rollins
• Sonny Stitt
• Charlie Parker
• Dizzy Gillespie
• Buster Smith
• Illinois Jacquet

• The Sugarman 3
• Kim Waters
• The Mar-Keys
• Roy Hargrove
• Pee Wee Ellis
• George Duke
• David Sanborn

• Swamp Boogie Queen

Born:

Feb 24, 1933 in Corsicana, TX

Died:

Jan 20, 2009 in Kingston, NY

Genres:

Jazz Music, Bop Jazz Music

Decades Active:

1950's|1960's|1970's|1980's|1990's|2000's

Artistic Quality

High

Cultural Impact

High

Popularity

High

Ratings Guide

As a teenager, David Newman played professionally around Dallas and Fort Worth with Charlie Parker's mentor, Buster Smith, and also with Ornette Coleman in a band led by tenor saxophonist Red Connors. In the early '50s, Newman worked locally with such RB musicians as Lowell Fulson and T-Bone Walker. In 1952, Newman formed his longest-lasting and most important musical association with Ray Charles, who had played piano in Fulson's group. Newman stayed with Charles' band from 1954-1964, while concurrently recording as a leader and a sideman with, among others, his hometown associate, tenor saxophonist James Clay. Upon leaving Charles, Newman stayed in Dallas for two years. He then moved to New York, where he recorded under King Curtis and Eddie Harris; he also played many commercial and soul dates. Newman returned to Charles for a brief time in 1970-1971; from 1972-1974 he played with Red Garland and Herbie Mann. Newman parlayed the renown he gained from his experience with Charles into a fairly successful recording career. In the '60s and '70s, he recorded a series of heavily orchestrated, pop-oriented sides for Atlantic and in the '80s, he led the occasional hard bop session, but Newman's metier was as an ace accompanist. Throughout his career, he recorded with a variety of non-jazz artists; Newman's brawny, arrogant tenor sound graced the albums of Aretha Franklin, Dr. John, and many others. It is, in fact, Newman's terse, earthy improvisations with Charles that remain his most characteristic work.

- Chris Kelsey, All Music Guide