Delta Bluesmen: Charley Patton & Son House
Although the blues was prevalent throughout the South, the Mississippi Delta is often called the “Birthplace of the Blues” or “Cradle of the Blues.” Out of the Delta came Charley Patton, one of the earliest blues artists. Some consider him the real father of the Delta blues. Although he had been around longer than many other blues singers, Patton did not make his first recording until June 1929. By that time, he was already forty years old. Patton, however, had experience. He had been playing the guitar since he was 19 and was one of the first to perfect the slide guitar sound. His vocal style was unique: it was unmistakably raw. His vocal delivery combined with his lively performances where he played the guitar between his legs and behind his neck, left a memorably impression on audiences and other musicians.Son House, also known as Eddie James House Jr., was one of those musicians influenced by Patton. Before meeting up with Patton, House, a former Baptist preacher, was serving time in 1928 at Parchman Farm for killing a man. Following the revaluation of his case and his release one year later, he began performing with Patton at juke joints and dances throughout the South. In 1930, Son House got his big break with Paramount. He recorded 10 songs in Grafton, Wisconsin and then returned to performing in the South. Son House would remerge again during the blues revival of the 1960s.
The End of the Country Blues
The recording of the country blues peaked between 1927 and 1930. When the Great Depression hit the U.S. in 1929, most country bluesmen had trouble finding work. Record sales decreased and so did recordings, especially of race records. In 1927, record sales had reached 104 million; by 1932, only 6 million records were sold. During this difficult economic time, record companies focused on established blues singers from the cities. As a result, many country blues singers were no longer recorded. It was the end of an era.This article was written on April 28, 2008.
