Houston Stackhouse
Houston Stackhouse ( born September 28, 1910 in Wesson, Mississippi; † 23 September 1980 in Helena, Arkansas ) was an American blues guitarist and harmonica player. He never had the great musical and commercial success of other blues musicians from the south, but he was a central figure in the blues scene as a mentor to many later successful artist.
Life
Houston Stackhouse was born in Houston Goff Wesson. Its origin learned Stackhouse only know when he applied for a passport in the 1970s. He grew up on the Randall Ford Plantation, where he took the name of his foster father James Wade Stackhouse. Around 1925 the family moved a little further north to Crystal Springs, where his musical development began. In addition to local musicians influenced him the recordings of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson and Blind Blake. The first instrument he learned was that Harmonika.Seine musical career began in the mid -1930s mi appearances together with the Mississippi Sheiks, Robert Johnson, Charlie McCoy, Walter Vinson and others in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. The andauernsten collaborations were with Carey " Ditty " Mason and his cousin Robert McCollum, better known as Robert Nighthawk, which he taught to play the guitar.
In 1946 he moved to Helena, Arkansas, where he played a year in Robert Nighthawks band, who also taught him to play the guitar. From that time on he only played more guitar After their separation, he played together with drummer James " Peck " Curtis, guitarist Joe Willie Wilkins and pianist Pinetop Perkins and Robert Traylor. In 1948 the harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson II to the band occurred throughout the Delta. Stackhouse also appeared with most blues musicians who came on their tours by Helena (eg Jimmy Rogers, Sammy Lawhorn both he taught on guitar, Elmore James, Earl Hooker, Willie Love, Ernest Lane and Roosevelt Sykes ). Between 1948 and 1954 he worked during the day as automobile workers in Chrysler's plant in West Memphis ( Crittenden County).
Unlike many other musicians Stackhouse remained in the south and worked during the day and played at night. He joined The whole 1950s and 1960s repeatedly with by traveling musicians ( Boyd Gilmore, Houston Boines, Frank Frost, Baby Face Turner and others). 1965 returned Sonny Boy Williamson II to Helena back and took Stackhouse in his band, which appeared in the King Biscuit Time radio show of KFFA, in May took Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records, the group and released the recordings under Williamson 's name as " King Biscuit Time ". 1967 recorded two Field Recorder Stackhouse, once under the name Blues Rhythm Boys ( with Peck Curtis and Robert Nighthawk ) and once with his longtime companion Carey " Ditty " Mason. After his death, he moved to Memphis. In the 1970s he was part of the Blue revivals, played at festivals and toured with the King Biscuit Boys. In 1976, he even traveled to Vienna, where he recorded for Wolf Records. In the late 1970s he retired from the music business and moved back to Helena. He died on 23 September 1980 at Helena Hospital.
To honor him is one of the five stages named after him at the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival (Houston Stackhouse Acoustic Stage ).
Discography
- Cryin ' Will not Help You ( 1994)
- Big Road Blues ( 1999)
- Masters of Modern Blues (Robert Nighthawk, Houston Stackhouse )