(2CD)
Maiden was born in Evelyn, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, in 1917 although
some sources state 1923. By the early 1940s, he had relocated to
California and met K. C. Douglas. They both steadfastly stuck to playing
in a country blues style and performed in nightclubs on the West Coast.
The K. C. Douglas Trio's first recording was "Mercury Boogie" (later
renamed "Mercury Blues"), in 1948, which included Maiden playing the
harmonica. The B-side was "Eclipse of the Sun", which was also produced
by the record label owner Bob Geddins and released on his Down Town
label. It was Maiden's vocal on the latter track.
By 1952, Maiden recorded a session for Imperial Records, in which he
was backed by the Blues Blowers, which included Douglas. Three years
later, another Maiden track, "Hurry Hurry Baby", was released by Flash
Records. This was followed by "Hand Me Down Baby", recorded by Maiden
with Al Simmons and Slim Green in Los Angeles in 1957.
In April 1961, Maiden recorded his only album, Trouble an' Blues, which
was originally released by the Prestige Bluesville label, thus reuniting
a partnership with Douglas that had started in the 1940s. The same year,
Arhoolie Records released the album Mercy Dee, by Mercy Dee Walton,
recorded in Stockton, California. It featured Walton plus Maiden on
harmonica, Douglas on electric guitar and Otis Cherry on the drums
Afterwards Maiden performed occasionally in Fresno County, both as a
solo performer and in various group settings. His later life is largely
unrecorded. According to the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc, he
died in Arizona in the late 1980s; some other sources date his death to
1970. (Wikipedia)