Kid Bailey
Kid Bailey was an American blues singer, guitarist and pianist. From him only two pieces have survived, Mississippi Bottom Blues and Rowdy Blues, recorded both in 1929 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis for the record label, Brunswick.
The recordings can be influences by Charley Patton, Willie Brown and Tommy Johnson recognize, with whom he was friends and made music. It is believed that Willie Brown played second guitar in his recordings, but this is not proven. It is sometimes also been suggested that Willie Brown used the name as a pseudonym Kid Bailey, the fact that numerous witnesses but can at least vaguely resemble him, suggests this is baseless.
Little is known about the life of Bailey. The earliest traces locate him early / mid 1920s to Doddsville in Sunflower County, Mississippi, where he already occurred as a street musician. Mid-1920s, he played in a string band that accompanied Charley Patton several times during performances, even the early 30s, he was ( as a soloist ) duet partner Patton. Between 1932 and 1945 or 1950, he will have performed in the area of Leland. Skip James claims to have seen him in 1950 at a show in Moorehead, where he played mandolin. In 1958 he is said to have worked as a street musician in Indianola, 1960 in Canton in a pub. Then lose track of him, anecdotal evidence suggest a natural death at this time.
After copyright records ( State Street Music Publishing Co.) is also a composer of Kid Bailey also recorded for the label Brunswick Long Train Blues by Robert Wilkins.
Rory Block has both recordings by Kid Bailey gecovert, Mississippi Bottom Blues on their CD "Tornado" and Rowdy Blues on "When a Woman Gets the Blues ". Also Nick Katzman and "Ruby Green" ( Terry Garthwaite ) both have songs on their album " Mississippi River Bottom Blues" ( Kicking Mule, later also under the titles " How to play Delta blues guitar" and "Panic When the sun goes down " published) interpreted.
Swell
- Stephen Calt, Gayle Wardlow: King of the Delta blues. The life and music of Charlie Patton. Skirt Chapel Press, Newton, N. J. 1988, ISBN 0961861002, pp. 166-169, 188, 231
- John Cowley: Kid Bailey and copyright. Blues & Rhythm H. 51 1988, p 16