Peetie Wheatstraw

Peetie Wheatstraw ( William Bunch actually; born December 21, 1902 in Ripley, Tennessee, † December 21, 1941 in St. Louis, Missouri) was an American blues pianist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, the great in the 1930s Popularity enjoyed. He called himself the " son of the devil" ( The Devil's Son - In-Law ), or the " high sheriff of hell " (High Sheriff of Hell ).

Life and career

Little is known about his early years. His family moved shortly after his birth according to Cotton Plant, Arkansas. Early on he learned to play piano and guitar. In 1927 he began a life as a traveling musician. In 1929 he came to Saint Louis, Missouri, where he remained as a musician for the rest of his life. He gave himself the stage name Peetie Wheatstraw ( from an African-American Legend ) and created the devil - myth to enhance the public interest.

Following the example of he admired duo Leroy Carr ( piano) and Scrapper Blackwell ( guitar) played Wheat Straw with many blues greats together, including the guitarist Lonnie Johnson, Kokomo Arnold, Charley Jordan, Bumble Bee Slim, Willie Fields, Charlie McCoy and the pianist Barrelhouse Buck and Champion Jack Dupree. Often, he went on alone, where he primarily accompanied himself on the piano. From 1930 he took over 170 plate sides over the years. Among his most famous pieces include Four O'Clock In The Morning and Tennessee Peaches Blues.

Wheat Straw influenced many important blues musicians such as Robert Johnson, who fashioned some titles of Wheat Straw to own songs. Thus, for example, from the King of Spades, the Little Queen Of Spades. Peetie Wheatstraw died in 1941 at the height of his career on his 39th birthday: his car was recorded in St. Louis by a train.

The writer Ralph Ellison used Peetie Wheatstraw as a model for characters in his novels, Invisible Man and Juneteenth.

Awards

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