- John Henry Barbee
John Henry Barbee (
November 14 1905 –November 3 1964 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fzfexq95ldfe~T1 All Music Guide biography] ] ) was an Americanblues singer andguitarist . He was born William George Tucker [ [http://www.wirz.de/music/barbefrm.htm Wirz.de/music biography] ] in Henning,Tennessee , and changed his name with the commencement of his recording career to reflect his favourite folksong , "The Ballad of John Henry".Biography
Barbee toured in the 1930s throughout the American South singing and playing
slide guitar . He teamed up withBig Joe Williams , and later on, withSunnyland Slim inMemphis, Tennessee . Travelling down toMississippi he also came acrossSonny Boy Williamson I , and played with him off and on for several years. He released two sides on the Vocalion label in 1939 ("Six Weeks Old Blues" / "God Knows I Can't Help It"). The record sold well enough to cause Vocalion to call on Barbee again, but by that time he had left his last known whereabouts inArkansas . Barbee explained that this sudden move was due to his evading the law for shooting and killing his girlfriend's lover. He later found out that he had only injured the man, but by the time this was discovered, Barbee had moved on from making a career out of playing music.Barbee did not show up again in the
music industry until the early 1960s, whereby this time the blues revival was in full swing.Willie Dixon searched out for Barbee, and found him working as an ice cream server inChicago ,Illinois . In 1964 he joined theAmerican Folk Blues Festival on anEurope an tour with fellow blues players, includingLightnin' Hopkins andHowlin' Wolf .In a case of tragic circumstances, Barbee returned to the
United States and used the money from the tour to purchase his firstautomobile . Only ten days after purchasing the car, he accidentally ran over and killed a man. He was locked up in a Chicago jail, and died there of aheart attack a few days later, November 3, 1964, ten days before his 59th birthday.He is interred in the Restvale Cemetery in
Alsip, Illinois .ee also
*
List of blues musicians
*List of Delta blues musicians
*List of Country blues musicians References
*Oliver, Paul and Chris Albertson. (1964, 1981). "Blues Roots Vol.3 -- John Henry Barbee -- I Ain't Gonna Pick No More Cotton". Audio LP ("Liner notes"). Storyville SLP 4037.
External links
* [http://www.wirz.de/music/barbee.htm Illustrated John Henry Barbee discography]
* [http://www.bluebeat.com/artists/13936 Bluebeat.com biography]
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