Jimmy McCracklin | Blues singer, pianist, 91

Jimmy McCracklin, 91, who by his count composed nearly a thousand songs and recorded hundreds, including the 1950s hit "The Walk," died Thursday in San Pablo, Calif.

Mr. McCracklin's music spanned decades and eras of rhythm and blues, from up-tempo jump blues of the 1940s to soul of the 1960s and '70s.

Mr. McCracklin released more than 20 albums, but he never recorded his most lucrative song, "Tramp." The song cracked the pop charts in 1967 when it was recorded by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas. A guitar riff that anchors it has been sampled by many artists, including the hip-hop trio Salt-n-Pepa in 1986.

His last album, Hey Baby, was released in 2010. - N.Y. Times News Service