Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson (1917-1988) was a blues musician.
Vinson was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He began playing the saxophone in high school. In New York he joined the Cootie Williams Orchestra, with which he remained through the mid-1940s.
Nicknamed “Cleanhead” after a lye-laced straightener destroyed his hair.
Vinson began his band in 1945. In the early 1960s, Vinson moved to Los Angeles. A 1970 appearance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Vinson became a popular performer in Europe, where he also recorded regularly, specializing in an appealing jazz-blues hybrid style.
A honking rhythm & blues alto saxophone player and a vocalist whose style was in the mold of the classic blues shouter. Eddie Vinson made his mark in the 1940s.
Vinson recorded extensively during his 50-odd- year career and performed regularly in Europe and the U.S.
