|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZLEWIS, Furry(b Walter Lewis, 6 March 1893, Greenwood MS; d 14 Sep. '81, Memphis) Blues singer, guitarist; also harmonica. Like Jesse Fuller, Mance Lipscomb, Mississippi John Hurt and others, he played ragtime, ballads etc, as well as blues. Raised on a farm, taught himself on a home-made guitar from age six, ran away from home c'06 to chase medicine shows. Worked with W. C. Handy and solo in Memphis area '08-- 16, also hoboed through the South and lost a leg in a train accident '16. He may have been the first to play slide guitar with a bottleneck rather than a knife-blade. Supported himself for more than 40 years as a streetcleaner despite wooden leg; rediscovered in late '50s he never earned enough to quit the day job. Appeared in films/videotapes The Blues '63, Homewood Show '70 on PBS, Roots Of American Music '71, Blues Under The Skin, Out Of The Blacks Into The Blues (French) and Thinking Out Loud, all '72, Good Morning Blues '78 on PBS, others. Joni Mitchell wrote 'Furry Sings The Blues' after meeting him. Records on Vocalion, Victor '27--9 (LP In His Prime on Yazoo); also Furry Lewis Blues '59 on Folkways, Back On My Feet Again '61 on Prestige/Bluesway; recorded for Rounder '63, '67--8; also In Memphis on Matchbox '70, with Fred McDowell on Biograph '71, with Bukka White '68--9 on Asp and Adelphi; other LPs: Presenting The Country Blues '69 on Blue Horizon, Furry Lewis '71 on Xtra; The Fabulous Furry Lewis on Southland, Shake 'Em On Down on Fantasy; portions of concerts were issued on Sire, Ampex, Elektra. |