Don Valentine’s nickname won’t blow anyone away. The drummer-entertainer behind the Hollywood All-Stars, Valentine keeps it simple and honest with his tag: Big. When we chatted about meeting up for an interview, Valentine seemed accommodating about the whole thing, though without a great deal of enthusiasm. Sure we could do that. Whenever. Then I mentioned the possibility of getting a bite to eat. “I like the sound of that,” he said, his grin audible over the phone. At 43 “Big” Don Valentine is one of the younger men playing blues in Memphis. His story has a few classic touches, though rolling premium joints in Amsterdam and watching Animal Planet are not exactly the pastimes of the sharecropper generation. Still, he has some country mud on his boots. Born in Woodstock, Tennessee, just north of Memphis towards Millington, Valentine and his musical family came to Memphis when he was six years old. His dad, a bass player named Calvin Valentine there founded the Hollywood All-Stars — named after a street in North Memphis — whose original membership have either died off, including Calvin himself in 2000, or retired. “Big” Don learned bass from his dad, drums from his brothers, and sang when no one else could, as he explains here. Today his incarnation of the Hollywood All-Stars can be heard in many of the city’s finer juking establishments. His story, in his own words, as has become the custom here, begins now.
Over in Europe, they treated us like Michael Jackson or something. Limousine rides, fancy hotels, the whole nine yards. After parties and stuff like that. I was about 16 or 17 when I first went over there with my dad’s group. I didn’t want to come back to Memphis after that. The women all treat you nice. We stayed for 32 days, and traveled all over France. I had women follow me from city to city. I really enjoyed that.
I been to Amsterdam. I rolled one up there. It’s top of the line.
We got a chance to go back in ’94. I was better equipped that time, because I’d learned a little French. I forgot it all now. If I go back I’m going to have to study back on it. We had a chance to do the Dijon festival, that’s where they make that mustard. We played a festival in Cognac. That’s where they make that good whiskey. I remember them well, best out of all the cities we did.
I only cut that one record, Hard Hitting Blues From Memphis, with the Hollywood All-Stars. I got a chance to cut with Big Lucky Carter, too, before he died. I traveled with Big Lucky. He didn’t smoke weed, just liked a stiff drink of whiskey. He was alright. He kept a fifth of whiskey in his guitar case. He had it specially designed where he could fit a whole fifth in there with the guitar. They didn’t mess with you nothing much back then [on airlines].
My band today is one of the best in the city, if you ask me. I’m working with guys like Jesse Dotson [keyboard player], Kenny Ray Kight [guitar], Nathanial Mitchell [bass], Ricky Batts [keyboard], and Big Don on drums and vocals.
I’m versatile from Delta blues, funk blues, to jump blues. You got sad blues, happy blues. I do Johnny Taylor, Tyrone Davis, John Lee Hooker. I consider myself an entertainer. It comes from playing with the older guys at Wild Bill’s. A lot of times they might not feel like singing. They might be too drunk to sing. I got called to do a few songs, and as the years progressed I learned more, and people started looking for me to sing more. Before I knew it, I ended up a singing drummer.
My father was definitely my number one mentor. He gave me a lot of experience. Guys like Willie Hall and Howard Grimes are great drummers who’ve schooled me on a lot of things.
I played in some great places. I played 13 years at Wild Bill’s. Now I’m playing Friday and Saturday at a club, formerly known as the Blue Worm, now it’s called Blues Nights. I’m there from 10:30 to 2:30. Sunday nights I’m at the View, inside the Executive Inn on Airways, from 10 to 1. We do wedding receptions, yard parties, anything.
I plan on staying around here, but I would like to move back to Woodstock. Buy me some land, fix up a ranch. I'm still a country boy. I'd have cattle, hogs, chickens. I've never killed one. I've seen my father kill them and dress them, smoke them. I don't know if I could do it, because I love animals too much. I'm the type of person who likes to watch Animal Planet and Wild Discovery. I don't know if I could kill one, and if I did I don't know if I could eat it.