Papa Lightfoot | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alexander Lightfoot |
| Also known as | Papa George Lightfoot |
| Born | March 2, 1924 |
| Origin | Natchez, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | November 28, 1971 (aged 47) |
| Genres | Blues, Delta blues |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, harmonica |
Papa Lightfoot, also known as Papa George Lightfoot (March 2, 1924 – November 28, 1971), born Alexander Lightfoot, was an American blues singer and harmonica player. [1]
Biography
Born in Natchez, Mississippi, Lightfoot recorded several sessions in his late twenties – for Peacock Records in 1949 [1] (which were never issued), Sultan Records in 1950, Aladdin Records in 1952, and Imperial Records in 1954. After final singles for Savoy Records in 1955 and Excello Records in 1956, [2] Lightfoot quit recording, still an obscure Southern blues harmonica player. [1]
As interest grew in rural Delta blues in the 1960s, Lightfoot's name became more well-known and, in 1969, record producer Steve LaVere went to Lightfoot's home town of Natchez, and asked him to record again. [3] The result was the album Natchez Trace, released on Vault Records in 1969, which brought Lightfoot briefly to the forefront of the blues revival. [1] Rural Blues Vol. 2 followed on Liberty Records later that same year. [4]
However, his comeback was cut short by his death in November 1971 of respiratory failure. [5]
The recordings were reissued in 1995 as Goin' Back to the Natchez Trace, with six additional tracks and recorded monologue. [6]
In 2009, Lightfoot was posthumously honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Natchez, granted by the Mississippi Blues Foundation. [7] [8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 238. ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
- ^ "Illustrated Papa George Lightfoot discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "Papa George Lightfoot | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "Papa George Lightfoot | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "The Dead Rock Stars Club - The 1970s". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ Bognadanov et al., p. 341
-
^ Mickens, Cassandra (September 5, 2009).
"Blues Trail marker unveiled for Lightfoot". Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link) - ^ "The Mississippi Blues Trail - Complete List of Installed Markers". Msbluestrail.org. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
Sources
- Papa Lightfoot at Allmusic.com
- AllMusic Guide to the Blues: the definitive guide to the blues, by Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, p. 341 (page available in Google books)
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1924 births
- 1971 deaths
- Musicians from Natchez, Mississippi
- American blues harmonica players
- American blues singers
- Blues musicians from Mississippi
- Mississippi Blues Trail
- 20th-century American musicians
- 20th-century American singers
- Aladdin Records artists
- Imperial Records artists
- Excello Records artists
- Savoy Records artists