Skip to main content

Joe Maphis Biography

joe-maphis
  • Born: May 12, 1921 in Suffolk, VA
  • Years Active: 1940s-1970s
  • Genre: Country

Joe and Rose Maphis were a popular husband-and-wife act in the late '40s and early '50s, singing traditional material backed by the amazing instrumental talent of Joe, who played everything with strings on it, especially the twin-neck guitar. The honky tonk anthem "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)" was their big hit. Until his death in 1986, Joe was a sessions instrumentalist, backing such stars as Rick Nelson, Tex Ritter, and Wanda Jackson. ~ David Vinopal, Rovi

Advertisement