Smoky Babe
Smoky Babe | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert Brown |
| Born | July 31, 1927 Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | May 1973 (age 45) (probable) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Louisiana blues, Piedmont blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s |
Robert Brown (July 31, 1927 – May 1973),[1][2] who performed as Smoky Babe, was an American acoustic blues guitarist and singer, whose recording career was restricted to a couple of recording sessions in the early 1960s. He is variously described as a Louisiana blues, Piedmont blues and blues revival musician.[3] His most noteworthy recordings were "Going Downtown Boogie," and "Ain't Got No Rabbit Dog."[2]
Career
He was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States.[2] Smoky Babe was recorded by Harry Oster of Louisiana State University in 1960 and 1961,[4][5] and the results were released by the Folk Lyric, Bluesville and Storyville labels.[6]
Outside of his recordings little is known of his life. The circumstances of his death are unclear. Some sources report that he died in June 1975,[3] but researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc state that he probably died in May 1973 in Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[1]
His song, "Boogy," was included on the compilation album, Blues Roots: Give Me The Blues (1979);[7] whilst "Hottest Brand Goin'" and "Locomotive Blues" appeared on the 1998 collection, The Bluesville Years, Vol. 9: Down the Country Way.[8]
Discography
- Smoky Babe and his Friends: Hot Blues (1961) – Folk-Lyric, 77 Records, Arhoolie
- Hottest Brand Goin (1961) – Bluesville
- Smoky Babe, Herman E. Johnson: Louisiana Country Blues (1997 ) – Arhoolie [6]
- Smoky Babe: Way Back In The Country Blues (2014) – Arhoolie
References
- ^ a b Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 198. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b c Doc Rock. "The 1970s". The Dead Rock Stars Club. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ a b Cub Koda. "Smoky Babe | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ Broven, John (1992). South to Louisiana (3rd ed.). Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company. p. 117. ISBN 1-55553-355-8.
- ^ "Big Road Blues – Part 2". Sundayblues.org. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ a b Stefan Wirz. "Illustrated Smoky Babe discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ Stefan Wirz. "Illustrated Jim Brewer discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ Stefan Wirz. "Illustrated Scrapper Blackwell discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1927 births
- 1973 deaths
- People from Itta Bena, Mississippi
- Blues musicians from Mississippi
- American blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American blues singers
- American male singers
- Blues revival musicians
- Louisiana blues musicians
- Piedmont blues musicians
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American guitarists
- Singers from Louisiana