Robert Petway

about

Robert Petway was an African-American blues singer and guitarist. Very little is known about Petway. His birthplace is speculated to have been at or near J.F. Sligh Farm near Yazoo City, Mississippi, birthplace of his close friend and fellow bluesman Tommy McClennan. His birth date is guessed at 1908, and the date and even the occurrence of his death is unknown. He only recorded 16 songs, but he is said to have been an influence on many notable blues and rock musicians, including John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix. Like many bluesmen from the Mississippi Delta, Petway traveled around as a musician, playing at parties, roadhouses, and other venues available. Petway and McClennan often traveled and performed together. After McClennan had been in Chicago for a few years, Petway traveled north to join him and cut records, as did Georgia's Frank Edwards who met them in Mississippi. There is only one known picture, a publicity photo from 1941, of Petway holding a steel-bodied National resonator guitar. His song, "Catfish Blues," recorded in 1941, contained virtually the same lyrics as were later recorded by Muddy Waters in his "Rollin' Stone", the song from which the rock group The Rolling Stones chose their band name. The composition credit given to Petway is based entirely on the recording date of his version of the song, however it would be impossible to evidence that song as the conclusive and original source. There is speculation that Tommy McClennan had a

top songs

albums

Cotton Pickin' Blues

Presenting Robert Petway

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Mississippi Blues Vol. 3 "Catfish Blues"

In the Evening

Let Me Be Your Boss

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Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey (Disc 2)

Catfish Blues

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Last Kind Words (1926-1953)

Mississippi Blues (1935-1951)

The Blues Roots of The Rolling Stones

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Mojo: The Roots Of Hendrix

Essential Delta Blues

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