Willie Mitchell

Born in Ashland, Mississippi on March 1, 1928, Willie Mitchell was a trumpeter and bandleader best known for his R&B / soul / funk producing / arranging and his work with the iconic Hi Records label in the 1970s. His musical journey began at the age of 8 when he began playing the trumpet. He moved with his family to Memphis, Tennessee when he was in high school and began performing with local bands. His big band became a popular draw in Memphis – even Elvis Presley hired him to play some private parties – but by the end of the decade, he became interested in producing. He started working for the Home of the Blues label before signing with Hi Records as a producer and an artist. Acknowledged as the architect of the ‘Hi Records sound,’ Willie Mitchell produced many artists on the label’s roster as well as releasing his own records including “Sunrise Serenade” (1962), “Percolatin’” (1963), “Everything is Gonna Be Alright” (1965), and “Soul Serenade” (1968). In 1969, Willie Mitchell signed an up-and-coming soul singer Al Green to Hi Records. The following year, the label’s founder, Joe Cuoghi, died and Willie Mitchell took charge of the label. Between 1970 and 1976, he produced Al Green’s most popular recordings including the number 1 hit “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) as well as “I’m Still In Love with You” (1972), “You Ought to Be with Me” (1972), “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” (1973), “Sha-La-La (Make me Happy)” (1974), “L-O-V-E (Love)” (1975) and many more. Willie Mitchell also produced other Hi Records artists including Ann Peebles, O. V. Wright, and Syl Johnson. Working outside of Hi Records, he produced blues and soul artist including Otis Clay, Preston Shannon, and Jimmy King. After leaving Hi Records in 1979, he set up his own independent label, Waylo Records, and produced artist on the label. In 1987, Scottish pop / soul band Wet Wet Wet flew to Memphis to work with Willie Mitchell on their debut album. However, the results were not up to par for their label, so the band had to re-record the songs. The sessions with Willie Mitchell were eventually released the following year as The Memphis Sessions. In 2003, Willie Mitchell collaborated with Al Green for the first time in nearly 40 years. Willie Mitchell died from cardiac arrest on January 5, 2010, at the age of 81.