[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 186 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE LIFE OF ``J. BLACKFOOT''--JOHN COLBERT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2011

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 
life of John Colbert, better known as J. Blackfoot, a great soul singer 
and entertainer from the city of Memphis, Tennessee. J. Blackfoot was a 
special talent known for his unique vocal style. Born in Greenville, 
Mississippi, his family moved to Memphis when he was two. Colbert 
earned the nickname ``Blackfoot'' as a child because he would run 
barefoot through his neighborhood.
  J. Blackfoot began his music career after meeting Johnny Bragg, 
founder of the 1950s-era music group ``Prisonaires.'' Together they 
recorded a ``behind-the-walls'' hit for Sun Records, after which J. 
Blackfoot embarked on a solo venture under his birth name. Strongly 
pursuing his love for music, he eventually found himself at Stax 
Records under the tutelage of songwriter/producer, David Porter.
  In the late 1960s, J. Blackfoot auditioned at Stax Records where 
David Porter and his song writing partner, Isaac Hayes, initially wrote 
many solo songs for him to perform. When the R&B duo Sam and Dave left 
Stax, Porter and Hayes decided to fill the stylistic void. They paired 
J. Blackfoot with Norman West, Anita Lewis and Shelbra Bennett to 
create the ``Soul Children.'' They put out 7 albums over their decade 
long career and released 15 R&B hits.
  In 1983, J. Blackfoot began a successful solo career, scoring many 
chart successes in both the U.S. and the U.K. He released several hit 
songs, including ``Taxi'' from the 1983 album City Slicker, which was 
perhaps his biggest solo career single. Over the last two decades, J. 
Blackfoot continued to record dozens of solo albums, performed at Stax-
related events and reformed the ``Soul Children.''
  J. Blackfoot passed away on November 30, 2011 at 65 years of age. 
Memphis, known for its rich musical heritage, mourns the loss of one of 
its unique voices. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me 
in honoring the contributions J. Blackfoot made to the music community. 
As an artist and music maker, his was a life well lived.

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