H. C. Speir
Henry C. Speir ( born October 6, 1895 in Prospect, Mississippi, † 1972 in Jackson, Mississippi) was probably the most influential and most important talent scout of the Delta Blues.
Life
1925 Speir opened a record shop in the Farish Street in the black neighborhood of Jackson. Already in the following year he acquired a cutting machine for the production of records unique pieces and started for talent, he wanted to pass on to record companies with a search. He relied on "Race Records ", ie African-American music for an African - American market and focused on the currently incurred but not yet recorded at this time Delta blues. Although this music was unusual and uncommon for the record industry, Speir came with his artists with open ears, especially because recently, in 1926, the first records of Blind Lemon Jefferson, the leading representative of the Texas Blues, were published with great success and more artists similar persuasions were sought.
1927 Speir was then recorded his first success when he gave William Harris to the Company Gennett, followed Ishmon Bracey and Tommy Johnson for Victor Records. From 1929 until its closure in 1932 Speir mediated most of its artists to Paramount Records, including such illustrious names as Skip James, Charley Patton, Son House and Willie Brown. In April 1930 Speir was Otto Moesner, the owner of Paramount, offered to buy the entire company for $ 25,000, but Speir was not liquid enough, also received no credit and therefore had to cancel the purchase.
Speir continued to work as a talent scout, important artists, he conveyed were Bo Carter, the Mississippi Sheiks, Blind Joe Reynolds, Blind Roosevelt Graves, Washboard Walter, Geeshie Wiley, Elvie Thomas, Isaiah Nettles and Robert Wilkins. In addition to Blue artists he discovered numerous white music groups called string bands, his most famous discovery was white Jimmie Rodgers, one of the foremost pioneers of country music.
His most famous discovery, however, succeeded him in 1935, when the unknown Robert Johnson came into his shop and made a test recording. Speir mediated Johnson at ARC Records on this then in 1936 made his first recordings.
1942 Speir finished its work for the recording industry and opened a furniture shop. 1964 was the Blue historians and record collectors Gayle Dean Wardlow the now acting as brokers and religious become Speir. He interviewed him from then on repeatedly to he discovered artists, with Speir was initially unwilling to talk about it. Despite his sympathies for the music and the artists, its own historical significance for the music of the 20th century did not seem to be quite clear to him. Speir died 1972.
Reception
Gayle Dean Wardlow dedicated to him in his book " Chasin 'That Devil Music: Searching For The Blues" a separate chapter and rewrote its meaning with the words " Speir was the godfather of the Delta Blues. For the country blues of the twenties and thirties HC Speir was what Sam Phillips was the rock'n'roll of the fifties - a musical visionary. Had there Speir not given, the most important natural resource of Mississippi would have remained untapped. " ( " Speir what the godfather of Delta blues. HC Speir what to Twenties and Thirties country blues what Sam Phillips what to Fifties rock & roll -a musical visionary. If it Had not been for Speir, Mississippi 's greatest natural resource mighthave gone untapped. "). In 2005, Speir was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame ( as a Non - Performer).