Charlie Patton
Not enough can be said about the influence of Charlie Patton, who was born in 1891 near Bolton in Southern Mississippi. Some call Patton the original founder of the Delta blues – he was one of Robert Johnson’s ‘mentors.’ Son House, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, and John Lee Hooker can all trace their styles back to Patton.
He was born in the late 1880s and lived on Will Dockery’s plantation between Drew and Boyle in rural Mississippi. Patton began to have some success as a musician as early as 1910 but it wasn’t until the late 1920s that he became recognized as ‘the man.’ Between 1929 and 1930 Patton recorded 42 issued sides, more than any other blues artist had turned out in one year. Patton’s vocal style was steeped in a rich baritone; a voice that was both raw and visceral. His playing style was also raw and visceral; a great performer, Patton sometimes played the guitar behind his back or on his knees. He had a reputation as a drunk and as a womanizer (he reportedly had eight wives), and his hard living ended his life prematurely in 1934 at the age of 42.
He was a regional success and inspired many of the guitarists of the day, not only with his guitar playing and acrobatic performance style, but with his nice clothes, cars, fancy guitars, and female admirers.
He was a small, slight man with wavy hair who had inherited his mother’s facial features: mixed Indian, black and white. His parents provided a stable atmosphere on their farm in Mississippi, hoping that Charlie would maintain their position in the community. Charlie, however, wanted to play guitar and have fun. When the family moved to the Dockery plantation, Patton started to learn guitar from a man named Henry Sloan.
In 1929 Patton met Henry Spier, a white music-store owner (and talent scout) who sent him north to record for the Paramount Blues label. His recordings represented him at his best and it was said that he was a much better singer on record than he was in live performance. However, the recordings didn’t change his life much; he still had to perform every night to make a living. He continued to play for audiences all over the South, not just blacks but whites, as well.
He developed a couple of different slide techniques. Using both the knife blade and bottleneck techniques, Patton was able to get various effects from the guitar, creating high pitches by playing far up the fretboard; as well, he was able to use the sustaining quality of the slide for slow drag tunes, such as ‘Banty Rooster.’ In ‘Mississippi Boweavil Blues’ and ‘Spoonful Blues’ one can hear Patton’s percussive alternating bass combined with flawless bottleneck technique.
Songs: ‘Spoonful Blues,’ ‘Mississippi Boweavil Blues’
Guitar: Early Gibson or Stella
Not enough can be said about the influence of Charlie Patton, who was born in 1891 near Bolton in Southern Mississippi. Some call Patton the original founder of the Delta blues – he was one of Robert Johnson’s ‘mentors.’ Son House, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, and John Lee Hooker can all trace their styles back to Patton.
He was born in the late 1880s and lived on Will Dockery’s plantation between Drew and Boyle in rural Mississippi. Patton began to have some success as a musician as early as 1910 but it wasn’t until the late 1920s that he became recognized as ‘the man.’ Between 1929 and 1930 Patton recorded 42 issued sides, more than any other blues artist had turned out in one year. Patton’s vocal style was steeped in a rich baritone; a voice that was both raw and visceral. His playing style was also raw and visceral; a great performer, Patton sometimes played the guitar behind his back or on his knees. He had a reputation as a drunk and as a womanizer (he reportedly had eight wives), and his hard living ended his life prematurely in 1934 at the age of 42.
He was a regional success and inspired many of the guitarists of the day, not only with his guitar playing and acrobatic performance style, but with his nice clothes, cars, fancy guitars, and female admirers.
He was a small, slight man with wavy hair who had inherited his mother’s facial features: mixed Indian, black and white. His parents provided a stable atmosphere on their farm in Mississippi, hoping that Charlie would maintain their position in the community. Charlie, however, wanted to play guitar and have fun. When the family moved to the Dockery plantation, Patton started to learn guitar from a man named Henry Sloan.
In 1929 Patton met Henry Spier, a white music-store owner (and talent scout) who sent him north to record for the Paramount Blues label. His recordings represented him at his best and it was said that he was a much better singer on record than he was in live performance. However, the recordings didn’t change his life much; he still had to perform every night to make a living. He continued to play for audiences all over the South, not just blacks but whites, as well.
He developed a couple of different slide techniques. Using both the knife blade and bottleneck techniques, Patton was able to get various effects from the guitar, creating high pitches by playing far up the fretboard; as well, he was able to use the sustaining quality of the slide for slow drag tunes, such as ‘Banty Rooster.’ In ‘Mississippi Boweavil Blues’ and ‘Spoonful Blues’ one can hear Patton’s percussive alternating bass combined with flawless bottleneck technique.
Songs: ‘Spoonful Blues,’ ‘Mississippi Boweavil Blues’
Guitar: Early Gibson or Stella