Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt made a handful of records in 1928 and then went back to farming in Avalon, Mississippi. Rediscovered in 1963, his gentle voice and syncopated fingerpicking made him one of the best-loved figures of the folk revival.
- Born
- 8 March 1893 (date uncertain), Teoc, Mississippi
- Died
- 2 November 1966, Grenada, Mississippi
- Full name
- John Smith Hurt
- Played
- Guitar, vocals
- Hometown
- Avalon, Mississippi
Life
Hurt taught himself guitar and developed a syncopated fingerpicking style of his own. In 1928 fiddler Willie Narmour recommended him to Okeh Records producer Tommy Rockwell, and he recorded twenty songs in Memphis and New York. The records sold modestly, Okeh went out of business in the Depression, and Hurt returned to Avalon.
In 1952 Harry Smith included his "Frankie" and "Spike Driver Blues" on the Anthology of American Folk Music. In 1963 a copy of his "Avalon Blues" led researchers to the town, and Tom Hoskins found Hurt still living there. He moved to Washington, D.C., recorded Folk Songs and Blues, and played the Newport and Philadelphia folk festivals that year. He went on to appear on The Tonight Show and Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest, and recorded three albums for Vanguard before his death in 1966.
Songs to know
- "Frankie" and "Spike Driver Blues"
- "Avalon Blues"
- "Candy Man"
- "Stack O' Lee"
- "Louis Collins"
- "Coffee Blues", which gave the Lovin' Spoonful their name
Selected albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1963 | Folk Songs and Blues (Piedmont) |
| 1966 | Today! (Vanguard) |
| 1967 | The Immortal Mississippi John Hurt |
| 1972 | Last Sessions |
| 1996 | Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings |
More about the country blues.