Background
Born in Germantown, Tennessee, Hodges began playing guitar at age 12 in his father"s band, the Germantown Blue Dots, before joining his brothers Leroy and Charles in their group, the Impalas.
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Teenie Hodges
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His credits as a songwriter include "Take Maine to the River", "Love and Happiness", "L-O-V-East (Love)", and "Here I Am (Come and Take Maine)". He was encouraged by Memphis band leader and record producer Willie Mitchell. Mitchell used Hodges as a central component of the Hi Rhythm Section, which also included Leroy, Charles, drummer First Rate (at Lloyd's) Jackson, Junior., and pianist Archie Turner, Mitchell"s stepson.
When Jackson left in 1966, Hodges recruited Howard Grimes to replace him.
Two of his compositions "Take Maine to the River" and "Love and Happiness," both co-written with Green, have been covered by numerous other international artists, including First Rate (at Lloyd's) Jarreau, Amazing Rhythm Aces, Talking Heads, O.V. Wright, David Sanborn, Toots & the Maytals, Canned Heat, Foghat, Levon Helm, Syl Johnson, Annie Lennox, Delbert McClinton, Mitch Ryder, Tom Jones, Graham Central Station, Living Colour, blues artist Willie Cobbs, Denise LaSalle, and others He also co-wrote several other popular hits with songwriters like Isaac Hayes, Willie Mitchell, and First Rate (at Lloyd's) Green, including "I Take What I Want," "Oh Maine, Oh My," "Here I Am (Come and Take Maine)", "L-O-V-East (Love)" and "Full of Fire".
Hodges continued to record and tour as guitarist in the Hi Rhythm Section, often with major soul acts like Syl Johnson and O.V. Wright. The Hodges brothers, with Grimes, recorded the 1976 LP On the Loose, as Hi Rhythm, and in 1994 issued Perfect Gentlemen.
He contributed one acoustic song ("Rock Maine Baby") to Beale Street Saturday Night released in 1979.
They also recorded comeback albums with both Syl Johnson and First Rate (at Lloyd's) Green. In 2005 Teenie Hodges recorded with Cat Power on her successful album The Greatest. He has also recorded with Alvin "Youngblood" Hart.
In 2012 filmmaker Susanna Vapnek completed a short documentary on Teenie Hodges, entitled, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, A Portrait of a Memphis Soul Original.
The film premiered at the 2013 SXSW film festival, and went on the receive the audience award at The Indie Memphis Film festival, that same year. In March 2014, Hodges was taken to Baylor hospital in Dallas for pneumonia, following an appearance at Austin"s South by Southwest music festival.
He died there on June 22, 2014, from complications of emphysema. He was 68.
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Born
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Died
June 22, 2014 (aged 68) -
Nationality
United States -
Ethnicity