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Thank you to Bri (Bri-UKlefty) for suggesting today’s featured artist—this week’s post is humbly dedicated to him and his family.
I have only limited knowledge of Mississippi John Hurt’s music, most of what I know is from one best-of album and a couple songs on a couple compilations. This is the one I think of when I hear his name, “Candy Man.”
His music seems gentle and dreamy to me. Here’s the playlist I put together, please add anything I’ve missed as a comment, I’ll also add it to the playlist (especially you, Bri).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CAHAUunhC8&index=1&list=PLsY6VJc9zDqlHGpDBo0D1cEPH8wgqhnJyMississippi John Hurt (born John Smith Hurt) in Teoc, Mississippi either on March 8, 1892 or July 3, 1893. The foundation named for him lists the March 8, 1892 date, AllMusic gives the 1893 date. Wikipedia says it’s either March 3, 1892 or March 8, 1893 (which indicates the strength and weakness of Wikipedia’s method). All agree he died on November 2, 1966, and by that time he’d produced a large number of memorable songs, including this one, named “Avalon” for his hometown.
Here’s a comment by YouTube user Cindy Bennett from the October 1964 radio interview with Skip James and Al Wilson (the Blind Owl of Canned Heat, number 10 on the playlist):
“My family has lived in the Avalon area where Mississippi John Hurt lived for five generations. In fact, my mother grew up just down the road from Mississippi John Hurt and his wife, Jessie Cole Hurt and their only son, John ‘Man’ Hurt, who was just a few years older than my mom. Often my mom would sneak away from my grandmother’s watchful eye after school to the Hurt’s home to go listen to John playing his guitar and singing on his front porch, leaning back against the front of his house in an old ladderback chair. Many mornings on her way to work at Mrs. Ora Belle Perkins’ house (John worked for her husband, teacher and principal of the local Valley School who also had cattle), Mrs. Jessie would stop by my grandparents house and pick up tissue flowers that my mom and aunt had made for her (She used them fir decoration at her church – St. James M.B. Church) & she would comb and braid their long hair. The Hurts shared my grandparents’ ‘storm pit,’ a shelter that had been dug out of the side of a hill, covered by a touch layer of Carroll County dirt with a door closure utilized in case if high winds and tornadoes). The Hurts had moved into their home just down from my grandparents and across the road in 1941 after it had been heavily damaged by a tornado and subsequently repaired by my grandfather at the same time that he was rebuilding their home that had been completely obliterated. So, you see, our family’s histories are intertwined over two to three generations. I’m the third generation and had the privilege and pleasure of hosting John ‘Man’ Hurt during an extended visit two years ago when he was here for 3 weeks. He readily shared stories and historical facts pertaining to his parents’ pedigrees/family histories, his years growing up as the only child and son of this humble and phenomenally talented/gifted blues/folk musician who loved home as opposed to travel. I look forward to his next visit and talk with him often by phone. He readily and fondly recalls the details of his childhood down to dates and names of people. Upon taking him to surrounding communities during his last visit, I was astounded when I witnessed him recognizing several individuals that he had not seen since they were children. …over 65 years later! He is by no means given to decay of memory due to aging! He is obviously the son of John Hurt. He favors him strongly and when he speaks, you can hear John Hurt in the timbre and resonance of his voice. He is a gifted guitarist as well. So many misconceptions are out there simply due to inability of those writing to actually spend an adequate amount of quality time after earning the trust of the humble son of the humble, gifted man of legend.”
And:
“For the record, as told to me by John Hurt’s son, John Hurt’s mother’s name was Mary JANE McCain Hurt, once a slave to the McCain family of Teoc, MS. John was one of 10 children, NOT 14, as is frequently recorded or written by Wikipedia and historians on YouTube.”
Here’s a comment by rich665150 on “Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me” (number 36 on playlist): “I love this dude! Wouldn’t it be great to hang out with him for a day! John’s music makes me feel peaceful! I feel like know him!”
The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation website
The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation YouTube channel
This 1961 release is one of my current favorites, Freddie King plays guitar it, and Smokey Smothers own guitar-playing is so good, I’m not always sure when it’s Freddie King.
In case you missed last week’s Blues Roots featuring the guitarists in Muddy Waters’ bands from the start through December 1966, please click on the link to part 1 above. If you’re a Muddy Waters’ fan, be sure to click on the complete discography link there. It’s amazing. Part 2 will be coming soon.
Whichever holidays you celebrate, I want to wish you the best, and if you use the Gregorian calendar, I’d like to wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous, productive 2017 (if you don’t use the Gregorian calendar, I want to wish you all of that anyway, just change the number).
Thanks to everyone here for what you share and do, especially Brian (for obvious reasons), Bryce (for everything you do above and beyond the call of Chief Motivational Officer), John (charjo, for the transcript of Patrick’s riff) and Duffy (for your theory posts) and Keith (for suggesting I do these Our Blues Roots posts). If I’ve forgotten something special you’ve done for me, please forgive my lapse. I appreciate my interactions with everyone, checking in here is always a real bright moment.
Don D.
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