Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series - Charlie Patton

In Southern Mississippi in April 1891, Charlie Patton was born to sharecropper parents. When he was nine years old his family moved to the Will Dockery Plantation located in the Delta. The Mississippi Delta is a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, the Mississippi River on the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The Delta is famous for its fertile soil and extreme poverty making it the ideal location for sharecroppers.

Henry Sloan was an African American musician who moved to the Delta area around the same time as the Patton’s. Although Sloan is considered one of the earliest performers in the history of Delta Blues he never recorded any music. His claim to fame is that he tutored Charlie Patton on the guitar in the ways of the blues. Charlie dogged his every step and played the blues with him for several years.

It was said that Patton defined the life of a bluesman. He had an earthy voice many considered course and it was attributed to hard times and harder living. He drank and smoked excessively. It’s not known for sure but it thought that he had eight wives. He moved around a lot and never stayed in one spot long. He even spent a short time in jail.

Patton made his first recording in June of 1929 for the Paramount label. He recorded fourteen songs for them, all recorded on 78’s. His first session was so successful that he was invited back just four months later and recorded an additional twenty eight tunes.

He played the slide guitar too making it a popular instrument in the playing of the blues. Patton is at the top of the list in blues history. He influenced the style of the blues and the performers in the succeeding generation. Performers that can trace their blues style back to Patton include Son House, Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson. It’s even been suggested that Patton may have been the first rock and roller. He was a real ham while performing on stage, playing the guitar loud and rough while holding it between his knees or behind his back. He jumped around, tapping the body of the guitar or using the back of his guitar as a drum.

In February of 1934, Patton had his last recording session in New York City. That was just two months before his death on April 28, 1934. He is buried in Holly Ridge, Mississippi and his major role in developing the Delta Blues is noted on his tomb stone. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 1980.

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series: Howling Wolf

Howling Wolf almost sounds like a name that would be given to an X-Men like Wolverine, a primal force of nature to be reckoned with, however it is a nickname that was given to one Chester Arthur Burnett. As the story goes, Chester was born back in 1910 in Mississippi. His parents worked on a plantation and Chester was raised with 5 other siblings. Growing up, Chester’s grandfather used to tell his grandchildren stories about the wolves in Mississippi. It is said that because of the stories of the wolves his grandpa told, whenever Chester got scared he would run “howling” through the house thus earning him the nick name “Howling Wolf” by his mother.

Maybe it was due to all the howling as a child that gave “howling Wolf” that deep harsh bluesy voice that his fans fell in love with. Regardless of how he came about his voice, between that and his ability to make people feel his words through his harmonica and guitar, few could match his onstage charisma and showmanship.

Wolf didn’t get into the Blues world early in life as most. He received his first guitar at 18 and although he played around with his guitar and had great idols in his life to mirror and learn from, it would not be until his late 30’s before he really put any serious thought into performing. Prior to that Wolf served in the Army during World War 1 and then spent the remainder of this time as a farmer. After his father’s death in 49, Wolf began to take the Blues more seriously. Wolf didn’t read music yet wrote the majority of his works. He played the songs in how the song felt to him. Without sheet music, when using back up p[layers or playing with other artist, Wolf would have to demonstrate what he was looking for until the players “got” it.

Chester Arthur Burnett a.k.a. Howling Wolf, died on January 10, 1976 at the young age of 65 due to kidney disease. Wolf made it in the Blues industry, and made it big, even with his late start. A book about Howling Wolf “Moanin’ at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howling Wolf” by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman was awarded the Blues Hall of Fame Classic of Blues Literature Award in 2008. Annually, since 1996, the Prairie Arts Festival in West Point Mississippi holds a Howlin’ Wolf Blues Festival.

Now for a little Howling Wolf to bring back the yester years ~

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series –Buddy Guy

Buddy Guy and B.B. King were both superstars of all times in blues music being the inspiration for other artist such as Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

In my previous blog I talked about BB King, today I want to share with you George Buddy Guy. Buddy was another child born to a sharecropper back in 1936 in Louisiana, back when segregation was still in full swing. Buddy’s parents tried to keep as much of the reality of the segregation from Buddy and his other four siblings while growing up and always encouraged them to be the best they could be, regardless of their skin color. He used examples throughout Buddy’s life such as Jackie Robinson, and Joe Louis whom both made names for themselves regardless of their skin.

In his late teens, Buddy started working as a custodian at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Buddy played the guitar when time allowed in blues bands. (Buddy Guy had a serious case of stage freight when he first started making public appearances. It took him quite sometime to conquer this fear and even throughout his whole career, Buddy would get an occasional twinge. Never before out of the state of Louisiana, Buddy decided to move to Chicago after a friend of his returned from a trip there and told him how he knew he would fare well there playing the guitar in the evening and working during the day. Buddy was more interested in working in Chicago rather then playing. It was only secondary to the thought of doubled income he could make working in Chicago as a custodian. The added benefit to Buddy in regards to his move was to see some of the blues greats play. Little did he know it wouldn’t be long when he would be playing right along side of some of the blues greats such as Muddy Waters and Otis Rush.

Guy’s success didn’t take right off, not at least in the style he would have rather played in. Guy’s did make some records under Chess label; however, it was not the style of music he necessarily wanted to record. It wasn’t until the later years of his career and a couple record label later that Guy was able to play how he always wanted to, and what he is known for today, a showman, provocative guitarist and commanding vocalist with just the right touch of the wild side that even make hard core rockers admire him.

Even after opening a blues club in Chicago back in 89, the Buddy Guy’s Legends, a very popular nightclub, Guy still manages to perform at the age of 73, with the same commanding presentation he has always had. Stayed tuned for more great blues artists you must hear. Until then, some Buddy Guy for your listening pleasure..