A native of New Orleans, Champion Jack Dupree's exact birthdate is unknown,
though it's likely in July between 1908 and 1910. He was orphaned at a young age
and learned to survive in the city hustling and playing blues and barrelhouse
piano. A move to Detroit in the early 1930s led to a meeting with Joe Louis and
the beginning of a successful boxing career where he acquired the nickname
Champion Jack. His 1941 song “Junker’s Blues” would later be considered the
jumping off point for Fats Domino’s “The Fat Man”. After serving in WWII, Dupree
established himself in New York and sta...