Clayton Love
Clayton D. Love Jr. (November 16, 1927 – February 28, 2010) was an American blues pianist, singer, and bandleader. He led his own band, the Shufflers, in the early 1950s and later sang with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm.
He was born in Mattson, Mississippi, and grew up in Clarksdale. In high school he studied trombone and learned band theory. At 16, he lied about his age to join the U.S. Navy in 1944. He served during World War II and, while stationed in California, the Philippines, and Guam, he practiced piano and kept improving his music.
After the war, Love studied pre-med at Alcorn A&M College near Vicksburg. He began playing in Vicksburg clubs with his band, the Shufflers. He made his first recordings for Trumpet Records in 1951. In 1952 he recorded for Aladdin Records with Raymond Hill’s band, and in the following years he also cut records for Modern and Groove labels.
In the mid‑1950s he moved to St. Louis and joined Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm, singing lead on tracks such as “Do You Mean It,” “She Made My Blood Run Cold,” and “The Big Question” for Federal Records. He also recorded under his own name for Bobbin Records with a band led by Roosevelt Marks.
Love later focused on education. He earned a master’s degree from Saint Louis University in 1972, then taught in the St. Louis public schools and worked as an administrator at Vashon High School. He kept performing during the blues revival of the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1986–87 he toured Europe with former Kings of Rhythm members as the St. Louis Kings of Rhythm, who were named ambassadors for the city in 1987.
In 1991 he released the album Rockin’ Eighty-Eights with Johnnie Johnson and Jimmy Vaughn. Love died after years of illness in 2010, at age 82. He was survived by his wife Joyce, his son Greyling, and his daughters Cheryl, Joann Johnson, Gail, and Mia, plus a sister, Mildred Chavers, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:23 (CET).