Mississippi John Hurt *March 8, 1893
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Mississippi John Hurt taught himself to play the guitar around the age of nine. He worked as a sharecropper and began playing at dances and parties, singing to a melodious fingerpicked accompaniment. His first recordings, made for Okeh Records in 1928, were commercial failures, and he continued to work as a farmer.
The Library of Congress recorded John in 1964. This helped further the American folk music revival, which led to the rediscovery of many other bluesmen of Hurt's era. Hurt performed on the university and coffeehouse concert circuit with other Delta blues musicians who were brought out of retirement. He also recorded several albums for Vanguard Records.
John Smith Hurt died on November 2, 1966 at the age of 73.
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let the mermaids flirt with me | mississippi john hurt, last sessions
when my earthly trials are over,
cast my body into the sea —
save on the undertaker’s bill,
let the mermaids flirt with me
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Mississippi John Hurt - Spike driver blues
(on Rainbow Quest with Pete Seeger)
Take this hammer, and stick it to Matt's auto...
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"No blues singer ever presented a more gentle, genial image than Mississippi John Hurt. [...] [H]e [...] sang with a warmth unique in the field of blues [...]."
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Mississippi John Hurt † November 2, 1966
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Mississippi John Hurt, Washington Square Park, 1965
Source: 1264doghouse
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