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Tag: Son House

  • Son House – Death Letter Blues

    Son House – Death Letter Blues

    Son House: The Father of Delta Blues and His Enduring Influence on Contemporary Blues

    Son House, born Eddie James House Jr. in 1902, is a towering figure in the history of American blues. His raw, emotional voice and innovative approach to slide guitar helped shape the Delta blues style, leaving a profound impact on the genre that resonates to this day. Although he experienced periods of obscurity during his lifetime, Son House’s contributions to blues music are monumental, and his influence continues to be felt in contemporary blues and beyond.

    Early Life and Musical Roots

    Son House was born in rural Mississippi, a region that would later become synonymous with the Delta blues. His early life was shaped by his deep involvement with the church, and at one point, he even became a preacher. However, around the age of 25, House had a life-changing experience when he first encountered the blues. Though conflicted by his religious beliefs, he was captivated by the emotional intensity of the music, and he quickly learned to play the guitar.

    His unique playing style, particularly his use of slide guitar, and his haunting, soul-baring vocals, distinguished him from other blues musicians of his time. By the late 1920s and early 1930s, Son House had become a key figure in the Mississippi Delta blues scene, performing alongside other blues greats like Charlie Patton and Willie Brown.

    Pioneering the Delta Blues Sound

    Son House’s music is characterized by its raw power and emotional depth. His vocal delivery was often described as preaching or shouting, with an intensity that made each song feel like a personal confession. His slide guitar playing, typically performed using a metal or glass slide, was both rhythmic and melodic, creating a sound that was at once driving and mournful. His technique was groundbreaking at the time, and it has become a fundamental part of the blues lexicon.

    Some of his early recordings, like “Death Letter” and “Preachin’ Blues,” showcase the elements that made Son House so distinctive. “Death Letter,” in particular, is one of his most famous songs—a tale of love and loss that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. The song’s riff and structure have been widely imitated, influencing generations of blues and rock musicians.

    House’s music frequently dealt with themes of sin, redemption, and the struggles of life in the rural South, reflecting both his experiences as a former preacher and the hardships of African American life in the early 20th century. His songs are filled with emotional honesty, spiritual conflict, and a deep connection to the human condition.

    Decline and Rediscovery

    After recording some seminal tracks in the 1930s, Son House’s career stalled during the 1940s. He moved to Rochester, New York, and stopped performing music publicly, taking on factory work instead. For nearly two decades, House remained out of the public eye, and many assumed he had disappeared from the music scene for good.

    However, the folk and blues revival of the 1960s brought renewed interest in the early pioneers of the genre, and House was “rediscovered” in 1964 by a group of young blues enthusiasts, including Dick Waterman. This rediscovery led to a revival of his career, and Son House began performing again, now to larger and more appreciative audiences in both the U.S. and Europe. His live performances were electrifying, and he became an influential figure in the burgeoning folk-blues movement of the time.

    Influence on Contemporary Blues and Rock

    Son House’s influence on blues and rock musicians cannot be overstated. He is often credited with helping to define the Delta blues style, which laid the foundation for much of modern blues music. His intense vocal delivery, powerful slide guitar work, and emotional honesty inspired countless musicians who followed in his footsteps.

    One of the most notable artists influenced by Son House is Robert Johnson, who is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of blues. House reportedly knew Johnson personally and taught him the fundamentals of blues guitar. Johnson’s recordings, particularly his use of slide guitar and the dark, mythic themes in his lyrics, bear the clear influence of Son House’s work.

    Beyond Johnson, Son House’s impact extends to contemporary rock and blues musicians, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. British blues-rock bands like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Cream all drew inspiration from the Delta blues tradition that House helped to shape. Artists such as Eric Clapton, John Mayall, and Rory Gallagher frequently cited House as a key influence. Clapton’s work, especially his interpretation of Delta blues classics, owes much to the pioneering style of Son House.

    Perhaps the most famous tribute to House’s legacy in the modern era came from Jack White of The White Stripes. White has spoken extensively about Son House’s influence on his music, particularly citing “Death Letter” as one of the most important songs in shaping his own musical approach. The White Stripes even recorded a cover of “Death Letter” on their 2000 album “De Stijl,” bringing House’s music to a new generation of listeners.

    Key Songs and Their Legacy

    • “Death Letter”: Perhaps Son House’s most famous song, “Death Letter” is a mournful ballad about the death of a loved one. Its iconic slide guitar riff has been covered and reinterpreted by numerous artists, and the song remains a staple in the blues genre.
    • “Preachin’ Blues”: This song highlights the duality of House’s life as both a preacher and a bluesman. It showcases his intense vocal delivery and mastery of slide guitar, making it one of his most iconic recordings.
    • “Grinnin’ in Your Face”: A powerful a cappella track, this song is a raw and emotional performance that strips away everything but House’s voice and clapping, proving that even without a guitar, his music was deeply affecting.

    Legacy and Importance for Contemporary Blues

    Son House’s music continues to be a cornerstone of the contemporary blues genre. His pioneering style of Delta blues has influenced countless musicians, and his songs are still performed and recorded by blues artists today. Beyond his technical innovations, what truly sets House apart is the emotional intensity of his music. His songs are imbued with a rawness and authenticity that remain relevant to modern audiences.

    House’s influence extends beyond the blues, reaching into rock, folk, and even alternative music. His ability to channel deep personal emotion into his music, his innovative guitar techniques, and his commitment to the spiritual and human aspects of the blues make him a crucial figure in the history of American music.

    Final Thoughts

    Son House’s importance for contemporary blues cannot be overstated. His mastery of slide guitar, his emotionally charged vocals, and his deeply personal songwriting helped define the Delta blues genre, which remains the bedrock of much of modern blues and rock music. Though his career was marked by periods of obscurity, his music has endured, continuing to inspire new generations of musicians and listeners alike. Whether through direct covers or the countless artists who have drawn from his pioneering style, Son House’s legacy lives on as a foundational influence in the world of blues and beyond.

    Son House - Death Letter Blues
    Son House – Death Letter Blues

    Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdgrQoZHnNY

    Thank You

    We appreciate your time and dedication to reading our article. For more of the finest blues guitar music, make sure to follow our Facebook page, “I Love Blues Guitar”. We share exceptional selections every day. Thank you once again for your continued support and readership.

  • Son House – John the Revelator

    Son House – John the Revelator

    Son House

    House was born in Riverton, a town near Clarksdale, Mississippi, being the middle brother of 17. At the age of eight, and after the separation of his parents, he moved to Tallulah, Louisiana, with his mother. During his teens, he wanted to become a Baptist preacher, starting at age fifteen. Inspired by the work of Willie Wilson, House was drawn to the blues, despite opposition from the Church about this musical style because of the sins that surrounded him, beginning to play guitar in the mid-1920s. until 1942 in Robinsonville, Mississippi, with musicians such as Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, Fiddlin ‘Joe Martin and Leroy Williams.

    After murdering a man, in alleged self-defense for him, he spent time in the Mississippi State Prison, during the years 1928 and 1929.

    Son House made recordings in 1930 for the record company Paramount Records and for Alan Lomax (belonging to the Library of Congress) in 1941 and 1942. He later disappeared from the music scene until the 1960s (a period characterized by the resurgence of country blues). , when, after a search by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spiro in the Mississippi Delta region, it was “rediscovered” in 1964 in Rochester, New York, where it had lived since 1943; House was retired from the music scene and working for the New York Central Railroad, being completely oblivious to the international enthusiasm that reigned for the reissue of his early recordings. Due to this, he began a series of musical tours through the United States and Europe, made recordings for the CBS company. Like Mississippi John Hurt, he performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, at the New York Folk Festival in 1965, on the 1970 summer European tour with Skip James and Bukka White, and at the Montreux Jazz Festival there. same year.

    The last years of his life were characterized by the disease, retiring again from the music scene in 1974, moving to Detroit, Michigan, where he would reside until his death due to laryngeal cancer. He was buried at Mt. Hazel Cemetery. Members of the Detroit Blues Society held a series of benefit concerts to raise money to build a statue at the Son House tomb.

    Musical style and influation.

    The innovative musical style of House is characterized by using strong, marked and repetitive rhythms, together with a way of singing that recalls the laments of the chain gang (groups of prisoners). House greatly influenced Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, the latter being the one who would bring House’s music to other audiences; It was precisely House who, in a conversation with fans in the 1960s, expanded the legend that Johnson had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to play the guitar masterfully. House has influenced current musicians like White Stripes, who performed a cover of their song “Death Letter” on the album “De Stijl”, performing that song at the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony. The White Stripes also incorporated sections from the traditional Son House song “John the Revelator” to the song “Cannon” from their album “The White Stripes”.

    blues music t-shirts

  • Son House – John the Revelator (Charlie Beale Remix)

    Son House – John the Revelator (Charlie Beale Remix)

    Love it or hate it Son House “John the Revelator” remixed with chill-out sounds by Charlie Beale. Not my style at all, but maybe it is the way to introduce blues music to younger people.

    Son House

    House was born in Riverton, a town near Clarksdale, Mississippi, being the middle brother of 17. At the age of eight, and after the separation of his parents, he moved to Tallulah, Louisiana, with his mother. During his teens, he wanted to become a Baptist preacher, starting at age fifteen. Inspired by the work of Willie Wilson, House was drawn to the blues, despite opposition from the Church about this musical style because of the sins that surrounded him, beginning to play guitar in the mid-1920s. until 1942 in Robinsonville, Mississippi, with musicians such as Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, Fiddlin ‘Joe Martin and Leroy Williams.

    After murdering a man, in alleged self-defense for him, he spent time in the Mississippi State Prison, during the years 1928 and 1929.

    Son House made recordings in 1930 for the record company Paramount Records and for Alan Lomax (belonging to the Library of Congress) in 1941 and 1942. He later disappeared from the music scene until the 1960s (a period characterized by the resurgence of country blues). , when, after a search by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spiro in the Mississippi Delta region, it was “rediscovered” in 1964 in Rochester, New York, where it had lived since 1943; House was retired from the music scene and working for the New York Central Railroad, being completely oblivious to the international enthusiasm that reigned for the reissue of his early recordings. Due to this, he began a series of musical tours through the United States and Europe, made recordings for the CBS company. Like Mississippi John Hurt, he performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, at the New York Folk Festival in 1965, on the 1970 summer European tour with Skip James and Bukka White, and at the Montreux Jazz Festival there. same year.

    The last years of his life were characterized by the disease, retiring again from the music scene in 1974, moving to Detroit, Michigan, where he would reside until his death due to laryngeal cancer. He was buried at Mt. Hazel Cemetery. Members of the Detroit Blues Society held a series of benefit concerts to raise money to build a statue at the Son House tomb.

    Musical style and influation.

    The innovative musical style of House is characterized by using strong, marked and repetitive rhythms, together with a way of singing that recalls the laments of the chain gang (groups of prisoners). House greatly influenced Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, the latter being the one who would bring House’s music to other audiences; It was precisely House who, in a conversation with fans in the 1960s, expanded the legend that Johnson had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to play the guitar masterfully. House has influenced current musicians like White Stripes, who performed a cover of their song “Death Letter” on the album “De Stijl”, performing that song at the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony. The White Stripes also incorporated sections from the traditional Son House song “John the Revelator” to the song “Cannon” from their album “The White Stripes”.
    Now, for comparison, and calming the original version. Good old Delta Blues…

    Son House – John the Revelator
    Son House – John the Revelator

    blues music t-shirts

  • Son House – Downhearted Blues

    Son House – Downhearted Blues

    Son House – his voice is just amazing. Gets across so much emotion with it.

    The guitar is out of tune slightly. Even for open G, but his guitar was always out of tune, it was on purpose, it went well with his voice.

    He holds the slide diagonally across the strings, instead of straight across. It will make the guitar sound out of tune. I think he’s getting the sound he wants by doing it.

    Just an awesome amount of soul. I can’t think of anyone who can sing like that today.

    Son House

    House was born in Riverton, a town near Clarksdale, Mississippi, being the middle brother of 17. At the age of eight, and after the separation of his parents, he moved to Tallulah, Louisiana, with his mother. During his teens, he wanted to become a Baptist preacher, starting at age fifteen. Inspired by the work of Willie Wilson, House was drawn to the blues, despite opposition from the Church about this musical style because of the sins that surrounded him, beginning to play guitar in the mid-1920s. until 1942 in Robinsonville, Mississippi, with musicians such as Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, Fiddlin ‘Joe Martin and Leroy Williams.

    After murdering a man, in alleged self-defense for him, he spent time in the Mississippi State Prison, during the years 1928 and 1929.

    Son House made recordings in 1930 for the record company Paramount Records and for Alan Lomax (belonging to the Library of Congress) in 1941 and 1942. He later disappeared from the music scene until the 1960s (a period characterized by the resurgence of country blues). , when, after a search by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spiro in the Mississippi Delta region, it was “rediscovered” in 1964 in Rochester, New York, where it had lived since 1943; House was retired from the music scene and working for the New York Central Railroad, being completely oblivious to the international enthusiasm that reigned for the reissue of his early recordings. Due to this, he began a series of musical tours through the United States and Europe, made recordings for the CBS company. Like Mississippi John Hurt, he performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, at the New York Folk Festival in 1965, on the 1970 summer European tour with Skip James and Bukka White, and at the Montreux Jazz Festival there. same year.

    The last years of his life were characterized by the disease, retiring again from the music scene in 1974, moving to Detroit, Michigan, where he would reside until his death due to laryngeal cancer. He was buried at Mt. Hazel Cemetery. Members of the Detroit Blues Society held a series of benefit concerts to raise money to build a statue at the Son House tomb.

    Musical style and influation.

    The innovative musical style of House is characterized by using strong, marked and repetitive rhythms, together with a way of singing that recalls the laments of the chain gang (groups of prisoners). House greatly influenced Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, the latter being the one who would bring House’s music to other audiences; It was precisely House who, in a conversation with fans in the 1960s, expanded the legend that Johnson had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to play the guitar masterfully. House has influenced current musicians like White Stripes, who performed a cover of their song “Death Letter” on the album “De Stijl”, performing that song at the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony. The White Stripes also incorporated sections from the traditional Son House song “John the Revelator” to the song “Cannon” from their album “The White Stripes”.

    blues music t-shirts

  • Son House – Scary Delta Blues

    Son House – Scary Delta Blues

    Engage your senses: Press play on the video, then stimulate your brain with the article.

    Eddie James – Son House was an American blues singer and guitarist, noted for his highly emotional style of singing and slide guitar playing.

    After years of hostility to secular music, as a preacher, and for a few years also as a church pastor, he turned to blues performance at the age of 25. He quickly developed a unique style by applying the rhythmic drive, vocal power and emotional intensity of his preaching to the newly learned idiom. In a short career interrupted by a spell in Parchman Farm penitentiary, he developed to the point that Charley Patton, the foremost blues artist of the Mississippi Delta region, invited him to share engagements, and to accompany him to a 1930 recording session for Paramount Records.

    Issued at the start of The Great Depression, the records did not sell and did not lead to national recognition. Locally, Son remained popular, and in the 1930s, together with Patton’s associate, Willie Brown, he was the leading musician of Coahoma County. There he was a formative influence on Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. In 1941 and 1942, House and the members of his band were recorded by Alan Lomax and John W. Work for Library of Congress and Fisk University. The following year, he left the Delta for Rochester, New York, and gave up music.

    In 1964, a group of young record collectors discovered House, whom they knew of from his records issued by Paramount and by the Library of Congress. With their encouragement, he relearned his style and repertoire and enjoyed a career as an entertainer to young white audiences in the coffee houses, folk festivals and concert tours of the American folk music revival billed as a “folk blues” singer. He recorded several albums, and some informally taped concerts have also been issued as albums. Son House died in 1988.

    In addition to his early influence on Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, he became an inspiration to John Hammond, Alan Wilson (of Canned Heat), Bonnie Raitt, The White Stripes, Dallas Green and John Mooney. (source: wikipedia)

    Top Albums by Son House read more…

  • Son House – Downhearted Blues

    Son House – Downhearted Blues

    Son House – his voice is just unique. Gets across so much emotion with it.

    The guitar is out of tune slightly. Even for open G, his guitar was always out of tune, it was on purpose, and it went well with his voice.

    He holds the slide diagonally across the strings, instead of straight across. It will make the guitar sound out of tune. I think he’s getting the sound he wants by doing it.

    Just an awesome amount of soul. I can’t think of anyone who can sing like that today.

    Son House

    House was born in Riverton, a town near Clarksdale, Mississippi, being the middle brother of 17. At the age of eight, and after the separation of his parents, he moved to Tallulah, Louisiana, with his mother. During his teens, he wanted to become a Baptist preacher, starting at age fifteen. Inspired by the work of Willie Wilson, House was drawn to the blues, despite opposition from the Church about this musical style because of the sins that surrounded him, beginning to play guitar in the mid-1920s. until 1942 in Robinsonville, Mississippi, with musicians such as Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, Fiddlin ‘Joe Martin, and Leroy Williams.

    After murdering a man in alleged self-defense, he spent time in the Mississippi State Prison, between 1928 and 1929.

    Son House made recordings in 1930 for the record company Paramount Records and for Alan Lomax (belonging to the Library of Congress) in 1941 and 1942. He later disappeared from the music scene until the 1960s (a period characterized by the resurgence of country blues). , when, after a search by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spiro in the Mississippi Delta region, it was “rediscovered” in 1964 in Rochester, New York, where it had lived since 1943; House was retired from the music scene and working for the New York Central Railroad, being completely oblivious to the international enthusiasm that reigned for the reissue of his early recordings. Due to this, he began a series of musical tours through the United States and Europe, made recordings for the CBS company. Like Mississippi John Hurt, he performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, at the New York Folk Festival in 1965, on the 1970 summer European tour with Skip James and Bukka White, and at the Montreux Jazz Festival there. same year.

    The last years of his life were characterized by the disease, retiring again from the music scene in 1974, moving to Detroit, Michigan, where he would reside until his death due to laryngeal cancer. He was buried at Mt. Hazel Cemetery. Members of the Detroit Blues Society held a series of benefit concerts to raise money to build a statue at the Son House tomb.

    Musical style

    The innovative musical style of House is characterized by using strong, marked and repetitive rhythms, together with a way of singing that recalls the laments of the chain gang (groups of prisoners). House greatly influenced Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, the latter being the one who would bring House’s music to other audiences; It was precisely House who, in a conversation with fans in the 1960s, expanded the legend that Johnson had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to play the guitar masterfully. House has influenced current musicians like White Stripes, who performed a cover of their song “Death Letter” on the album “De Stijl”, performing that song at the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony. The White Stripes also incorporated sections from the traditional Son House song “John the Revelator” to the song “Cannon” from their album “The White Stripes”.

    blues music t-shirts
  • Son House – John the Revelator

    Son House – John the Revelator

    Watch the video and read the article below

    Son House

    House was born in Riverton, a town near Clarksdale, Mississippi, being the middle brother of 17. At the age of eight, and after the separation of his parents, he moved to Tallulah, Louisiana, with his mother. During his teens, he wanted to become a Baptist preacher, starting at age fifteen. Inspired by the work of Willie Wilson, House was drawn to the blues, despite opposition from the Church about this musical style because of the sins that surrounded him, beginning to play guitar in the mid-1920s. until 1942 in Robinsonville, Mississippi, with musicians such as Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, Fiddlin ‘Joe Martin and Leroy Williams.

    After murdering a man, in alleged self-defense for him, he spent time in the Mississippi State Prison, during the years 1928 and 1929.

    Son House made recordings in 1930 for the record company Paramount Records and for Alan Lomax (belonging to the Library of Congress) in 1941 and 1942. He later disappeared from the music scene until the 1960s (a period characterized by the resurgence of country blues). , when, after a search by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spiro in the Mississippi Delta region, it was “rediscovered” in 1964 in Rochester, New York, where it had lived since 1943; House was retired from the music scene and working for the New York Central Railroad, being completely oblivious to the international enthusiasm that reigned for the reissue of his early recordings. Due to this, he began a series of musical tours through the United States and Europe, made recordings for the CBS company. Like Mississippi John Hurt, he performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, at the New York Folk Festival in 1965, on the 1970 summer European tour with Skip James and Bukka White, and at the Montreux Jazz Festival there. same year.

    The last years of his life were characterized by the disease, retiring again from the music scene in 1974, moving to Detroit, Michigan, where he would reside until his death due to laryngeal cancer. He was buried at Mt. Hazel Cemetery. Members of the Detroit Blues Society held a series of benefit concerts to raise money to build a statue at the Son House tomb.

    Musical style and influation.

    The innovative musical style of House is characterized by using strong, marked and repetitive rhythms, together with a way of singing that recalls the laments of the chain gang (groups of prisoners). House greatly influenced Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, the latter being the one who would bring House’s music to other audiences; It was precisely House who, in a conversation with fans in the 1960s, expanded the legend that Johnson had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to play the guitar masterfully. House has influenced current musicians like White Stripes, who performed a cover of their song “Death Letter” on the album “De Stijl”, performing that song at the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony. The White Stripes also incorporated sections from the traditional Son House song “John the Revelator” to the song “Cannon” from their album “The White Stripes”.

    We appreciate your time and dedication to reading our article. For more of the finest blues guitar music, make sure to follow our Facebook page, “I Love Blues Guitar”. We share exceptional selections every day. Thank you once again for your continued support and readership.