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Artist
Henry Thomas
12+ albums
bluescountry bluesfolkcountrytexas
about
Henry Thomas (1874-1930) was an American country blues singer, songster and musician. Born in Big Sandy, Texas, he enjoyed a brief recording career in the late 1920s which has latterly been influential. He was often billed as "Ragtime Texas". His style was an early example of what later became known as Texas blues guitar. Thomas was born into a family of freed slaves in Big Sandy, Texas in 1874. He began traveling the Texas railroad lines as a hobo after leaving home in his teens. He eventually earned his way as an itinerant songster, entertaining local populaces as well as railway employees. He recorded 24 sides for Vocalion Records between 1927 and 1929, 23 of which were released. They include reels, gospel songs, minstrel songs, ragtime numbers, and blues. Besides guitar, Thomas accompanied himself on quills, a folk instrument fabricated from cane reeds whose sound is similar to the zampona played by musicians in Peru and Bolivia. His style of playing guitar was probably derived from banjo-picking styles. His life and career after his last recordings in 1929 have not been chronicled. Although one report places him in Texas in the 1950s, most biographers indicate he died in 1930, when he would have been 55 or 56 years old. Thomas' legacy has been sustained by his songs, which were revived by musicians beginning in the folk music revival of the early 1960s. Among the first of these was "Honey Won't You Allow Me One More Chance", which was re-interpreted by Bob Dylan on T
top songs
albums
Texas Worried Blues
Texas Worried Blues: Complete Recorded Works 1927-1929
Presenting Henry Thomas
Lovin' Babe
Henry Thomas
Essential Blues Masters
Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 2A: Social Music
Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 3B: Songs
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Come On, Run!
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How To Cut and Paste- The Thirties Edition
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Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey (Disc 1)
Anthology of American Folk Music