Napoleon Strickland
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Napoleon Strickland (a.k.a. Napolian Strickland) 1924 – July 21, 2001) was a pioneering fife and drum blues artist. He played guitar, drums, harmonica , fife, and all manner of percussion. He was a songwriter, and vocalist specializing in the northern Mississippi-based genre called country blues. He was born near Como in the northern Mississippi Delta.
Life
His father introduced him to the music as a boy but it was Otha Turner that taught him how to play. He was adept with guitar, drums, harmonica, diddley-bow, fife, and all manner of percussion. But he was primarily a fie player and singer, playing a great number of festivals, on appearing on several compilation albums of North Mississippi Country Blues. He also appeared in the bopic documentary film The Land Where The Blues Began. <ref>Johnson, Greg. "Napolian Strickland 1924 - 2001", Blues Notes, September 18, 2001. Accessed November 6, 2007. "Strickland was arguably the premier fife player of the genre, having appeared at numerous festivals, on several recorded compilations and on film… ref> He worked as a share cropper for most of his life. He mentored many other musicians in the region. after a car accident he was committed to a nursing home but continued to play for guests even from hsi bed. In 2008 Birdman Records are scheduled to release the final recordings of Napoleon Strickland.
Discography
V/A - Mississippi Delta Blues Jam in Memphis Vol 1 - Arhoolie Records V/A - Blow My Blues Away Vol. 1 - Arhoolie Records V/A - Traveling Through the Jungle - Testament Records V/A - Testament Records Sampler - Testament Records V/A - Feel Like Goin Home Blues - Sony Music Canada V/A - Living Country Blues USa Vol 7 - Living Country Blues Records V/A - Living Country Blues USa Vol 10 - Living Country Blues Records V/A - Bottleneck Blues - Hightone Records V/A - Mississippi Delta Blues in the 1960s - Venerable Music V/A - Afro-American Folk Music - Venerable Music V/A - Memphis Swamp Jam - Blue Thumb Records