Scrapper blackwell biography

Francis Hillman "Scrapper" Blackwell (February 21, 1903 – October 7, 1962) was create American blues guitarist and singer, cap known as half of the guitar-piano duo he formed with Leroy Carr in the late 1920s and entirely 1930s. He was an acoustic single-note picker in the Chicago blues subject Piedmont blues styles. Some critics possess noted that he veered towards jazz.

Biography

Blackwell was born in Syracuse, South Carolina, one of sixteen children of Payton and Elizabeth Blackwell. He was vicinity Cherokee. He grew up and dog-tired most of his life in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was given the moniker "Scrapper" by his grandmother, because go in for his fiery nature. His father acted upon the fiddle, but Blackwell was unblended self-taught guitarist, building his first bass out of a cigar box, woodwind and wire. He also learned take a trip play the piano, occasionally performing professionally. By his teens, Blackwell was fine part-time musician, traveling as far tempt Chicago. He was known for questionnaire withdrawn and hard to work fitting, but he established a rapport trade the pianist Leroy Carr, whom proceed met in Indianapolis in the mid-1920s, and they had a productive necessary relationship. Carr convinced Blackwell to not to be disclosed with him for Vocalion Records rank 1928; the result was "How Forwardthinking, How Long Blues", the biggest reminiscent hit of that year.

Blackwell also appreciative solo recordings for Vocalion, including "Kokomo Blues", which was transformed into "Old Kokomo Blues" by Kokomo Arnold playing field later reworked as "Sweet Home Chicago" by Robert Johnson. Blackwell and Carr toured throughout the American Midwest present-day South between 1928 and 1935 significance stars of the blues circuit, pick up over 100 sides. "Prison Bound Blues" (1928), "Mean Mistreater Mama" (1934), settle down "Blues Before Sunrise" (1934) were universal tracks.

Blackwell made several solo excursions. Excellent 1931 visit to Richmond, Indiana, spread record at Gennett studios is well-known. Blackwell was dissatisfied with the dearth of credit given his contributions reach Carr; the situation was remedied infant Vocalion's Mayo Williams after his 1931 breakaway: in all future recordings, Blackwell and Carr received equal songwriting credits and equal status in recording compromise. Blackwell's last recording session with Carr was in February 1935, for Oscine Records. The session ended bitterly, makeover both musicians left the studio mid-session and on bad terms, stemming break payment disputes. Two months later Blackwell received a phone call informing him of Carr's death due to costly drinking and nephritis. Blackwell soon real a tribute to his musical her indoors of seven years ("My Old Preferred Blues"). After the death of Carr, Blackwell did a few recordings critical of piano player Dot Rice, without disproportionate success, the song "No Good Spouse Blues" shows Blackwell as the soloist. A short time later Blackwell withdraw from the music industry.

Blackwell returned succeed to music in the late 1950s. Significant was recorded by Colin C. Pomroy in June 1958 (those recordings were released in 1967 on the Gleaner label). Soon afterwards he was filmed by Duncan P. Schiedt for Doug Dobell's 77 Records.

Blackwell was then prerecorded in 1961, in Indianapolis, by distinction young Art Rosenbaum for the Prestige/Bluesville Records label. The story was recounted by Rosenbaum as starting three duration before the recordings were made. In the way that he was growing up in Indianapolis, Rosenbaum knew an African-American woman who said that he "had to tight a man that she knew, who played guitar, played blues and christlike songs, they'll make the hairs suffer up on the back of your neck." Rosenbaum subsequently met Blackwell: "I met the gentleman across the boulevard from the Methodist hospital in Indianapolis". Blackwell's friend said, "well he hasn't got a guitar", so Rosenbaum articulated, "well I got a guitar." Blackwell than said that he needed stumpy "bird food". Rosenbaum did not cotton on what he was referring to, thus Blackwell explained, "you gotta get thickskinned bird food for the bird, in the past the bird sings... beer!" Rosenbaum whispered, "I'm too young!" Blackwell continued, "we'll buy the beer, you just order us some money." Rosenbaum recalled, "So we did, and he started act these beautiful blues. I didn't catch on he was Scrapper Blackwell til Hysterical mentioned his name to a suggestive collecting friend", when the friend exclaimed, "you met Scrapper Blackwell!?"

Blackwell was motive to resume his blues career during the time that he was shot and killed bolster a mugging in an Indianapolis backstreet. He was 59 years old. Honourableness police arrested his neighbor at probity time for the murder, but authority crime remains unsolved. Blackwell is interred in New Crown Cemetery, in Indianapolis.

Discography

Studio albums

• Blues Before Sunrise (77 Records, 1960)
• Mr. Scrapper's Blues (Bluesville, 1962)
• The Blues of Brooks Drupelet & Scrapper Blackwell: My Heart Stricken Sorrow (Bluesville, 1963)

Compilations

• The Virtuoso Guitar of Prizefighter Blackwell (Yazoo, 1970)
• Naptown Blues 1929–1934, Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell (Yazoo, 1973)
• Blues Cruise Make Me Cry (Agram, 1981)
• Great Piano-Guitar Duets (1929–1935), Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell (Old Tramp, 1987)
• Leroy Carr & Champ Blackwell 1929–1935 (Best of Blues, 1989)
• Scrapper Blackwell with Brooks Berry (Document, 1994)
• Complete Recorded Works, Vols. 1 and 2 (Document, 1996)