Peg Leg Howell & Eddie Anthony

about

Musician’s Full Name: Joshua Barnes Howell (Peg Leg Howell) Born: March 5, 1888, Eatonton, Georgia Died: August 11, 1966, Atlanta, Georgia Instrument: Guitar and Vocals Biographical Sketch Peg Leg Howell was born Joshua Barnes Howell on March 5, 1888 in Eatonton, Georgia. Howell was a self-taught guitarist who was said to have connected early country blues and the 12-bar styles. Over time, he learned to be skilled in finger picking and slide techniques. The nickname “Peg Leg” was acquired from an incident with a shotgun in 1916, where his brother-in-law allegedly shot his leg off. After this incident, he could not work on a farm anymore, so he packed his things and left for Atlanta, where he pursued a full-time music career. He started off playing on street corners for change. When this wasn’t enough, Howell started bootlegging liquor. In 1925, he was sentenced to one year in prison because he was caught bootlegging. While serving his time, Peg Leg wrote the song “New Prison Blues.” Shortly after his release, he signed with the Columbia record label, and recorded “New Prison Blues.” For the next several months, Howell recorded everything from ballads, such as “Skin Game Blues,” to dance numbers, such as “Beaver Slide Rag.” Howell even recorded some jazz, such as “New Jelly Roll Blues.” Although many of his earlier recordings were solo, Howell was later backed by “the Gang,” which included guitarist Henry Williams and fiddler Eddie Anthony. Finally in 1929, Columbia decide

top songs

albums

similar artists