Joseph Amos Milburn (April 1, 1927 – January 3, 1980) was an American R&B singer and pianist,[1] popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

One commentator noted, "Milburn excelled at good-natured, upbeat romps about booze and partying, imbued with a vibrant sense of humour and double entendre, as well as vivid, down-home imagery in his lyrics.

This included his cover version of "Down the Road a Piece" (1946), a blues song with a Texas boogie, that is similar in many respects to rock music.

"Hold Me Baby" and "Chicken Shack Boogie" reached numbers eight and nine on Billboard's survey of 1949's R&B best-sellers.

It was the first of a series of drinking songs he recorded (none written by Milburn, but several composed by Rudy Toombs).

[8] Another artist performing and recording as Amos Milburn Jr. in Texas in the 1960s was a different and unrelated person (James Thomas Russ Jr.).

[9][10] Milburn was an important performer of blues music in the years immediately after World War II.

His energetic songs about getting "high" were admired by fellow musicians, such as Little Willie Littlefield, Floyd Dixon and Milburn's prime disciple, Fats Domino.