Floyd Council

Floyd Council (September 2 1911–May 9 1976) was an American blues guitarist and singer. He became a well-known practitioner of the Piedmont blues sound from that area, popular throughout the southeastern region of the US in the 1930s.

Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina to Harrie and Lizzie Council, Floyd began his musical career on the streets of Chapel Hill in the 1920s, performing with two brothers, Leo and Thomas Strowd as "The Chapel Hillbillies". He recorded twice for ARC at sessions with Blind Boy Fuller in the mid-thirties, all fine examples of the Piedmont style in full bloom.

Council suffered a stroke in the late 1960s which partially paralyzed his throat muscles and slowed his motor skills, but didn't cause any damage to his brain. Folklorist Peter B. Lowry attempted to record him one afternoon in 1970 - the results are of historical note only - but he never regained his singing or playing abilities. Accounts say that he remained "quite sharp in mind".

Council died in 1976 of a heart attack, after moving to Sanford, North Carolina.

The Floyd in Pink Floyd

Syd Barrett, of English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd, came up with the band's name by juxtaposing the first names of Council and South Carolina bluesman, Pink Anderson. He noticed the names in the liner notes of a 1962 Blind Boy Fuller LP (Philips BBL-7512). The text, written by Paul Oliver, read: "Curley Weaver and Fred McMullen, (...) Pink Anderson or Floyd Council -- these were a few amongst the many blues singers that were to be heard in the rolling hills of the Piedmont, or meandering with the streams through the wooded valleys."

Discography

No records are available which exclusively feature Council's work. However, the CD, "Carolina Blues", features six songs which he recorded: "I'm Grievin' and I'm Worryin'", "I Don't Want No Hungry Woman", "Lookin' For My Baby", "I'm Broke and I Ain't Got a Dime", "Runaway Man Blues" and "Working Man Blues".According to a 1969 interview, Council stated he had recorded 27 songs over his career, seven of them backing Blind Boy Fuller. Fuller's series of "Complete Recorded Works" contain many songs in which Council played guitar.

References

* [http://hem.passagen.se/evilclown/pinkfloyd/FC.htm Introducing Floyd Council]
* [http://www.deadbluesguys.com/dbgtour/council_floyd.htm Floyd "Dipper Boy" Council]

External links

* [http://www.wirz.de/music/council.htm Illustrated Floyd Council discography]