Some February Blues Births:
- February 4th.,1954 -- Curtis Salgado
- February 13th.,1919 -- John Lee Henley, aka John Lee
- February 25th.,1912 -- Arthur "Big Boy" Spires
Answer To The January 2024 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/ is John Wesley "Shortstuff" Macon, aka Mr. Shortstuff, born 1923 (could not find the exact date), in Shuqualak (pronounced "sugar lock"), halfway between Columbus and Meridian, Mississippi, and is only 1.13 square miles in area, population in last census - 399. His parents were father Albert Macon and mother Louvenia Hall. He taught himself guitar by the age of 9. He worked outside the music field around Shuqualak and Crawford area (24 to 25 miles apart), but did play some parties into the '60's. In '64 & '65 he performed, toured, and/ or recorded with his cousin, Big Joe Williams out in the West Coast area and in New York City. He then returned to the South, working outside the music field, into the '70's. In '71 Chris Strachwitz, owner of Arhoolie Records, made a recording of John, with some friends backing him: "Big" Joe Lee Williams on vacals & guitar, Austen Pete on vocals & guitar (also 2nd. guitar behind Big Joe), of course, John on vocals and "rattling" guitar, Glover Lee Connor on vocals, and Amelia Johnson on vocals. Those recordings were released on c.d. # 9015, titled "Going Back to Crawford". It has 26 tracks on it, done on different dates: track #'s 20 through 26 cMarch, 1971, with tracks 1 through 19 recorded May 21, 1971. John entered Noxubee County Hospital, where he passed away from heart problems, on December 28, 1973. Here's where it gets a little confusing. Most records show him being buried in the Cross Road Cemetery, in Starkville, Mississippi. There are 42 cemeteries in Starkville, none named Cross Road Cemetery. Further hunting found a listing for John Wesley Macon being buried in the Lebanon Methodist Church Cemetery, in Sessums, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. That listing shows his death date as being December 26, 1973. Also shown in that listing is a picture of him on the cover of the "MR. SHORTSTUFF" album, on the Spivey label.
Blues Question For February 2024: This bluesman, a bit obscure, but no less important than many others who helped fledgling blues players get their basics from. He was the main influence to one who went on to become a headliner. He did some recording, and wrote some songs that are now blues standards that you'd be familiar with. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??
Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For February 2024: The song is "Flood Water Blues", and the artist is Alonzo "Lonnie" Johnson, recorded in New York City for Decca Records, matrix # 91341, on November 18,1937. I picked this one, recorded 87 years ago, because it speaks of weather and it's consequences, similar to what is happening today in parts of the U.S.A. and other countries.
Blues Trivia For February 2024: Phillip Walker was a youngster when he started to play the "guitar", made with a cigar box and pieces of wire he snuck out of the window screens. When he was 15 his friends urged him to wear a fake mustache to get into the clubs, parties, juke joints, and anywhere else where he could get in to listen or, even sit in, with the bands. He made his first recording in '52, when he was 17, as a sideman with Roscoe Gordon. He also worked frequently with Cornelius Green III, aka "Lonesome Sundown", born in Louisiana. Phillip, also born in Louisiana, played that southern circuit where he developed sinus problems. He'd been to Los Angeles when he was 16 in '53, and said he always felt better there -- sunshine, clean air (this was in the late '40's early '50's) beautiful sights of the sea, etc, so he moved to the West Coast in '59. He mostly played R & B sites and gatherings, but had, by then, become very proficient with the guitar, harmonica, and piano, so he also played jazz, pop, R & R, Cajun, and blues. When he played R & B, he did guitar and vocals with Ina Beatrice "Bea Bopp" Walker (nee Gilkey). They were married in '63. She wrote or co-wrote a lot of his songs, still singing lead when they performed. His skills were finally getting some recognition, enough so that he was teaching others guitar. The trivia part here is that one of his "students" was a young man wanting to be a bluesman. That young man is now 70, you know his name : Robert Cray. Also, one of the early bands he travelled, recorded, and performed with for two years was Clifton Chenier. It was Chenier who gave him his first real guitar.
Some February Blues Passings:
- February 2nd.,1975 -- Herman E. Johnson
- February 15th.,1981 -- Michael "Mike" Bernard Bloomfield
- February 22nd.,2001 -- John Aloysius Fahey
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