Memphis soul producer Willie Mitchell dies
Willie Mitchell, a musician and record producer most associated with the soul and R&B scene in Memphis, has died. He was 81.
Mitchell died Tuesday at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, after suffering cardiac arrest on Dec. 19.
Mitchell was a producer at Hi Records in the 1970s, working with soul artists such as Al Green, Ann Peebles and Syl Johnson.
He also owned Royal Studio, where emerging talent such as Buddy Guy, John Mayer and other artists first recorded.
Born and raised in Ashland, Miss., Mitchell began playing trumpet at age eight and played with local big bands.
After college, he began playing with jazz musicians like Booker Little, Charles Lloyd and Phineas Newborn Jr.
He had several instrumental hit singles in the 1960s, including 20-75 and Soul Serenade, which was also the title of one of his hit albums. Others included Willie Mitchell Live, On Top and Robbin’s Nest.
Mitchell and his band provided the musical entertainment at several New Year’s Eve parties for Elvis Presley at Presley’s Graceland home.
In 1970, he was put in charge of the Hi label, signing Green and Peebles and helping to advance their careers.
Green became one of the decade’s top soul artists with Mitchell co-producing and engineering all of Green’s albums from 1970 through 1976, as well as such Top 10 singles as Tired of Being Alone and Call Me (Come Back Home).
Green again recorded with Mitchell on 2003’s I Can’t Stop and 2005’s Everything’s OK.
Most recently, he wrote string and horn arrangements for Rod Stewart’s new album of R&B covers, and produced a still-unreleased album for soul kingpin Solomon Burke.
Mitchell received a Trustees Award from the Grammy Foundation in 2008 and a street in Memphis is named after him.
Mitchell leaves a son and two daughters.
