Malone was born in Pete's Corner,
Alabama. His father, "Hard Rock" Charlie Malone, was an accomplished bottleneck guitarist, who played the
Chitlin' Circuit from Chattanooga to Chicago in the 1930s. Malone sang in his local church and learned to play the harmonica, guitar and piano. After moving to California, he found more regular employment in the
music industry and had local
hit singles with "It's a Shame", "One Step Away", and "Danger Zone". Malone met the record producer Ray Shanklin and was subsequently employed as a record company executive at
Fantasy Records (and its subsidiary
Galaxy) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At Galaxy, Malone worked alongside
Little Johnny Taylor,
Big Mama Thornton,
Sonny Rhodes and
Creedence Clearwater Revival. With the singer and guitarist
Troyce Key, he bought Eli's Mile High Club, a
nightclub in north
Oakland, California. In the 1970s, Eli's Mile High acquired a reputation for supporting West Coast blues artists. and
Younger Than Yesterday (1981, Red Lightnin'). Malone returned to performing as a solo artist in the 1980s, and continued to record until 2001. He released three solo albums, including
Highway 99 (1997). ==Discography==