Howard Grimes
Keeper of the Memphis Beat BORN 1941
Known as ‘Bulldog’ for his tenacity behind the drumkit, Howard Grimes began playing professionally as a teen in the clubs of Memphis, Tennessee. In 1959 he backed Carla and Rufus Thomas on
Cause I Love You for Satellite Records, soon to be renamed Stax; one of its first black musicians, Grimes would become a key player during the label’s early years. A decade later he would join producer Willie ‘Poppa’ Mitchell, as part of another soul institution, the Hi Rhythm Section. His work for the Hi label would include, crucially, the first 10 albums by Al Green as well as classics by Ann Peebles, Syl Johnson and O.V. Wright, among others. In recent years, Grimes had become a member of throwback R&B outfit The Bo-Keys and in 2021 published a memoir titled Timekeeper: My Life In Rhythm.