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Biography
Infobox musical artist | | name = Mississippi John Hurt| image = M_John_Hurt.jpg| caption = Hurt making a recording for the Library of Congress in 1964.| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = John Smith Hurt| alias =| birth_date = birth date|1893|7|3|mf=y or birth date|1892|3|8|mf=y| birth_place = Teoc, Mississippi|Teoc , Carroll County, Mississippi|Carroll County , Mississippi , United States | death_date = death date|1966|11|2|mf=y| death_place = Grenada, Mississippi | origin = Avalon, Mississippi | instrument = Guitar , Singing|Vocals | genre = Country blues , Delta blues , Folk music|Folk | occupation = Singer-songwriter , Sharecropper , Farm hand| years_active = 1928 in music|1928 , 1963 in music|1963 – 1966 in music|1966 | label = Okeh Records|Okeh Vanguard Records|Vanguard | associated_acts = Shell Smith Willie Narmour| website =| notable_instruments = Guild Guitar Company|Guild F-30NT John Smith Hurt , better known as Mississippi John Hurt (July 3, 1893 http://www.nps.gov/history/DELTA/BLUes/people/msjohn_hurt.htm National Park Service http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/277386/Mississippi-John-Hurt#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked& title=Mississippi%20John%20Hurt%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia Encyclopædia Britannica or March 8, 1892There is confusion about his date of birth, but the http://www.cr.nps.gov/delta/blues/sites/ms_sites.htm#mjh_grave grave marker mentions this date. & mdash; November 2, 1966) was an United States|American country blues singer and guitar ist. cite web|url= http://www.nps.gov/history/DELTA/BLUes/people/msjohn_hurt.htm |title=Trail of the Hellhound: Mississippi John Hurt |publisher=www.nps.gov |accessdate=2008-05-29
Raised in Avalon, Mississippi , Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine. Singing in a loud whisper, to a melodious Fingerstyle|finger-picked accompaniment,cite book | first= Tony | last= Russell | year= 1997 | title= The Blues - From Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson to Robert Cray | edition= | publisher=Carlton Books Limited | location= Dubai | pages= 121 | isbn= 1-85868-255-X he began to play local dances and parties while working as a sharecropper . He first recorded for Okeh Records in 1928, but these were commercial failures, and Hurt drifted out of the Recording industry|recording scene , where he continued his work as a Farming|farmer . After a man discovered a copy of one of his recordings, "Avalon Blues", which gave the location of his hometown, there became increased interest in his whereabouts. Tom Hoskins, a blues enthusiast, would be the first to locate Hurt in 1963. He convinced Hurt to relocate to Washington, D.C. , where he was recorded by the Library of Congress in 1964. This rediscovery helped further the American folk music revival , which had led to the rediscovery of many other List of blues musicians|bluesmen of Hurt's era. Hurt entered the same university and coffeehouse Concert tour|concert circuit as his contemporaries, as well as other List of Delta blues musicians|Delta blues musicians brought out of retirement. As well as playing concerts, he recorded several studio album s for Vanguard Records .
He died in Grenada, Mississippi . Material recorded by Hurt has been re-released by many record label s over the years (see Mississippi John Hurt#Discography|discography ); and his influence has extended over many generations of guitarists. Songs recorded by Hurt have been covered by Bob Dylan , Jerry Garcia , Beck , Doc Watson , John McCutcheon , Taj Mahal (musician)|Taj Mahal , Bruce Cockburn , David Johansen and Guthrie Thomas.
Biography
Early years
Born John Smith Hurt in Teoc, Mississippi|Teoc ,Cohen, Lawrence. Linear notes to Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings . Columbia Records|Columbia / Legacy Records|Legacy , CD, 1996 Carroll County, Mississippi|Carroll County , Mississippi and raised in Avalon, Mississippi , Hurt learned to play guitar at age nine. He was completely self-taught, playing his mother's boyfriend's guitar whenever he stayed over at her house. His style was not reminiscent of any other style being played at the time; it was the way Hurt "thought the guitar should sound". He spent much of his youth playing old time music for friends and dances, earning a living as a farmhand into the 1920s.cite web |first= |last= |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p379/biography|pure_url=yes |title=Biography by Bruce Eder |publisher=Allmusic.com |accessdate=May 30, 2009 His fast, highly syncopation|syncopated style of playing made his music adept for dancing. On occasion, a medicine show would come through the area; Hurt recalls being wanted by one of them. "One of them wanted me, but I said no because I just never wanted to get away from home." In 1923 he partnered with the fiddle player Willie Narmour as a substitute for his regular partner Shell Smith.
First recordings
When Narmour got a chance to record for Okeh Records as a prize for winning first place in a 1928 fiddle contest, he recommended Hurt to Okeh Records producer Tommy Rockwell. After auditioning "Monday Morning Blues" at his home, he took part in two recording sessions, in Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis and New York City (see Discography below). While in Memphis, Hurt recalled seeing "many, many blues singers ... Lonnie Johnson , Blind Lemon Jefferson , Bessie Smith , and lots, lots more." Hurt described his first recording session as such: bquote|... a great big hall with only the three of us in it: me, the man Rockwell, and the engineer. It was really something. I sat on a chair, and they pushed the microphone right up to my mouth and told me that I couldn't move after they had found the right position. I had to keep my head absolutely still. Oh, I was nervous, and my neck was sore for days after. Hurt attempted further negotiations with OKeh to record again, but after the commercial failure of the resulting records, and Okeh Records going out of business during the Great Depression , Hurt returned to Avalon and obscurity, working as a sharecropper and playing local parties and dances.
Rediscovery
After Hurt's renditions of " Frankie and Johnny (song)|Frankie " and " John Henry (song)|Spike Driver Blues " were included in Anthology of American Folk Music|The Anthology of American Folk Music in 1952; and an Australia n man discovered a copy of "Avalon Blues", there became increased interest in finding Hurt himself.Dahl, Bill. Linear notes to D.C. Blues: The Complete Library of Congress Recordings, Vol. 1 . Fuel 2000 Records , CD, 1998 In 1963, a folk music|folk musicologist , Tom Hoskins, supervised by Richard Spottswood, was able to locate Hurt near Avalon, Mississippi using the lyrics of "Avalon Blues":
bquote|Avalon, my home town, always on my mind/Avalon, my home town. While in Avalon, Hoskins convinced an apprehensive Hurt to perform several songs for him, to ensure that he was genuine. Hoskins was convinced, and seeing that Hurt's guitar playing skills were still intact, Hoskins encouraged him to move to Washington, D.C. , and begin performing on a wider stage. His performance at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival saw his star rise amongst the new folk revival audience. Before his death he played extensively in college s, concert hall s, coffee house s and also on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson , as well as recording three further albums for Vanguard Records . Much of his repertoire was recorded for the Library of Congress , also. His fans particularly liked the ragtime songs " Salty Dog Blues|Salty Dog " and "Candy Man", and the blues ballad s "Spike Driver Blues" (a variant of "John Henry") and "Frankie".
Hurt's influence spanned several music genres including blues, country music|country , bluegrass music|bluegrass , folk and contemporary rock music|rock and roll . A soft-spoken man, his nature was reflected in the work, which consisted of a mellow mix of country, blues and old time music.
Hurt died of a myocardial infarction|heart attack in Grenada, Mississippi . http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1960.html Thedeadrcokstarsclub.com - accessed May 2009
Style
Hurt incorporated a fast, Plectrum|pick -less, syncopated fingerpicking style that he taught himself. He was influenced by very few people; but does recall an elderly, unrecorded, blues singer from that area, Rufus Hanks, who played twelve-string guitar and harmonica . He also recalls listening to the country music|country singer Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers . Many of his songs were in very basic keys ( C major|C , G major|G , D major|D , F major|F , etc.), his fingers picking notes within the chords. On occasion, Hurt would use an open tuning and a Slide guitar|slide , as he did in his arrangement of " The Ballad of Casey Jones ".
Tributes
There is now a memorial in Avalon, Mississippi for Mississippi John Hurt. It is parallel to RR2, the rural road on which he grew up.
American singer-songwriter Tom Paxton , who met Hurt and played on the same bill as him at the The Gaslight Cafe|Gaslight in Greenwich Village around 1963, wrote and recorded a song about him in 1977 entitled "Did You Hear John Hurt? " Paxton still frequently plays this song at his live performances.
The first track of John Fahey (musician)|John Fahey 's 1968 solo acoustic guitar album Requia is entitled "Requiem For John Hurt". Fahey's posthumous live album The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick also features a version of the piece, there entitled "Requiem For Mississippi John Hurt".
British folk/blues artist Wizz Jones recorded a tribute song called "Mississippi John" for his 1977 album Magical Flight .
Discography
NOTE: Sources for this section are as follows:cite web|title=Mississippi John Hurt Discography|publisher=Wirz.de|url= http://www.wirz.de/music/hurtfrm.htm|accessdate=2010-07-10cite book|last1=Dixon|first1=Robert M.W.|last2=Goodrich|first2=John M.W.|last3=Rye|first3=Howard W.|pages=418–419|year=1997|title=Blues & Gospel Records 1890–1943|edition=4th|publisher=Clarendon Press|isbn=0-19816-239-1cite web|title=Mississippi John Hurt Album Discography|publisher= Allmusic |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p379|pure_url=yes|accessdate=2010-07-10cite web|title=Mississippi John Hurt Compilation Album Discography|publisher= Allmusic |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p379|pure_url=yes|accessdate=2010-07-10
78 rpm releases
" Frankie and Johnny (song)|Frankie "/"Nobody's Dirty Business" ( Okeh Records , OKeh 8560) (1928)
" Stagger Lee (song)|Stack O' Lee "/"Candy Man Blues" (Okeh Records, OKeh 8654) (1928)
"Blessed Be the Name"/"Praying on the Old Camp Ground" (Okeh Records, OKeh 8666) (1928)
"Blue Harvest Blues"/" John Henry (song)|Spike Driver Blues " (Okeh Records, OKeh 8692) (1928)
"Louis Collins"/"Got the Blues (Can't Be Satisfied)" (Okeh Records, OKeh 8724) (1928)
" Make Me a Pallet on the Floor|Ain't No Tellin' "/"Avalon Blues" (Okeh Records, OKeh 8759) (1928)
Albums
Folk Songs and Blues live recordings ( Piedmont Records , PLP 13757) (1963)
Worried Blues (Piedmont Records, PLP 13161) (1964)
Today& #33; (Mississippi John Hurt album)|Today! ( Vanguard Records , VSD-79220) (1966)
The Immortal Mississippi John Hurt (Vanguard Records, VSD-79248) (1967)
The Best of Mississippi John Hurt live recordings (Vanguard Records, VSD-19/20) (1970)
Last Sessions (Vanguard Records, VSD-79327) (1972)
Volume One of a Legacy live recordings (Piedmont Records, CLPS 1068) (1975)
Monday Morning Blues: The Library of Congress Recordings – Volume One ( Flyright Records , FLYLP 553) (1980)
Avalon Blues: The Library of Congress Recordings – Volume Two (Heritage Records, HT-301) (1982)
Satisfied live recordings (Quicksilver Intermedia, QS 5007) (1982)
The Candy Man live recordings (Quicksilver Intermedia, QS 5042) (1982)
Sacred and Secular: The Library of Congress Recordings – Volume Three (Heritage Records, HT-320) (1988)
Avalon Blues (Flyright Records, FLYCD 06) (1989)
Memorial Anthology live recordings (Genes Records, GCD 9906/7) (1993)
Selected compilation albums
The Original 1928 Recordings (Spokane Records, SPL 1001) (1971)
''1928: Stack O' Lee Blues – His First Recordings ( Biograph Records , BLP C4) (1972)
1928 Sessions ( Yazoo Records , L 1065) (1979)
Satisfying Blues ( Collectables Records , VCL 5529) (1995)
Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings ( Columbia Records , CK64986) (1996)
Rediscovered (Vanguard Records, CD 79519) (1998)
The Complete Recordings (Vanguard Records, CD 70181-2) (1998)
Candy Man Blues: The Complete 1928 Sessions ( Snapper Music , SBLUECD 010) (2004)
References
Reflist
External links
Commons category
http://www.msjohnhurtmuseum.com Mississippi John Hurt Museum Includes a link to a discussion forum regarding Mississippi John Hurt with substantive participation by grand nephew, Fred Bolden.
https://mississippijohnhurtnews.com Mississippi John Hurt News Website run by Hurt's grand nephew, Fred Bolden. Has several forums and discussions open to the public.
http://www.wirz.de/music/hurt.htm Illustrated Mississippi John Hurt discography
http://www.archive.org/search.php? query=creator:%22Mississippi%20John%20Hurt%22 Available recordings at The Internet Archive
http://www.staggerlee.com/sl/directory/artist/Mississippi-John-Hurt.html Mississippi John Hurt's Stackolee Recording, sheet music and guitar tab.
Further reading
Ratcliffe, Philip R., (2011) Mississippi John Hurt: His Life, His Times, His Blues . Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi.
Persondata| NAME = Hurt, John Smith | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Mississippi John Hurt | SHORT DESCRIPTION = United States|American country blues singer and guitarist | DATE OF BIRTH = July 3, 1893 or March 8, 1892 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Teoc, Mississippi , United States | DATE OF DEATH = November 2, 1966 | PLACE OF DEATH = Grenada, Mississippi , United States
DEFAULTSORT:Hurt, Mississippi John Category:1892 births Category:1966 deaths Category:Acoustic blues musicians Category:African American musicians Category:Country blues singers Category:American folk singers Category:American blues guitarists Category:American male singers Category:Fingerstyle guitarists Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees Category:Blues musicians from Mississippi Category:Blues revival musicians Category:Songster musicians Category:Vanguard Records artists Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction
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