Mississippi John Hurt
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“Mississippi” John Hurt was Born July 3, 1893, Teoc (Carroll County) MS and died November 2, 1966, Grenada, MS. John’s father was Isom Hurt and his mother was Mary Jan McCain. John was one of 3 children. He and his wife, Jessie, had 14 children.
Mississippi John Hurt’s quiet dignity, humor, superb guitar style, and his tender and expressive voice made him one of the most popular artist of traditional country blues re-discovered by the public in the sixties.
John arranged classic American folk and blues songs to entertain his neighbors on Saturday evenings.
Mississippi John never pursued success. In 1928, a mobile unit of the Vocalion company came to Avalon, Mississippi to look for new talents. An audition in Avalon resulted in John being called several months later to go to New York for a recording session under the direction of Lonnie Johnson. The depression led to the reduction in pressing of records and John stayed in Avalon and lived quietly on his farm with his 14 children.
Guided by the words of one of the titles recorded in 1928 by Hurt, “Avalon My Home Town”, the folklorist Tom Hoskins decided in 1963 to go to Avalon. He met Hurt, who was shocked to see that someone remembered his 1928 recordings that had brought him only twenty dollars a song.
John Hurt’s new career lasted only three years, but at Newport Festival, on college campuses, and in the folk clubs of Washington D.C., he displayed his talents as storyteller, entertainer, and singer. He overwhelmed the public with his outstanding mastery of the guitar.
Mississippi John Hurt’s quiet dignity, humor, superb guitar style, and his tender and expressive voice made him one of the most popular artist of traditional country blues re-discovered by the public in the sixties.
John arranged classic American folk and blues songs to entertain his neighbors on Saturday evenings.
Mississippi John never pursued success. In 1928, a mobile unit of the Vocalion company came to Avalon, Mississippi to look for new talents. An audition in Avalon resulted in John being called several months later to go to New York for a recording session under the direction of Lonnie Johnson. The depression led to the reduction in pressing of records and John stayed in Avalon and lived quietly on his farm with his 14 children.
Guided by the words of one of the titles recorded in 1928 by Hurt, “Avalon My Home Town”, the folklorist Tom Hoskins decided in 1963 to go to Avalon. He met Hurt, who was shocked to see that someone remembered his 1928 recordings that had brought him only twenty dollars a song.
John Hurt’s new career lasted only three years, but at Newport Festival, on college campuses, and in the folk clubs of Washington D.C., he displayed his talents as storyteller, entertainer, and singer. He overwhelmed the public with his outstanding mastery of the guitar.
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Last Sessions
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Shoutbox
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barryvs wrote:
Superb guitar style indeed.
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smokinfukincigs wrote:
just a party picker
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VK1990 wrote:
Candy Man
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ivanmon wrote:
Who is John Hurt?
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blebbio wrote:
such a fantastic musician and human being in general.
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Nish_Imth wrote:
Avalon Blues is a fantastic album !
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Mystic_b_side wrote:
Classic Folk Blues. Pure 20's. I Love It.
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dobsonme wrote:
Absolutely fantastic. Worm voice & master guitar sounds perfect to me.
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escaladecinza wrote:
Same with me, Echos_Myron.
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Echos_Myron wrote:
I know Robert Johnson gets most people into the Blues by John Hurt is the guy who did it for me.
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DeadKinks wrote:
My absolute favourite from the 20's. Above Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly, Charley Patton, Jimmie Rodgers, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey...
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minuszeroLastFM wrote:
Let's vote up a better pic, here - http://www.last.fm/music/Mississippi+John+Hurt/+images/65891456
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Fodderstompf_ wrote:
If there really is Heaven, then John Hurt playing "You got to walk that lonesome valley" on that Pete Seeger show must be it.
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arcade_water wrote:
LEGEND
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thinkwonka wrote:
I've always thought of John Hurt as a sort of grandfather figure to me... I love you Pop Pop!
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Druid66 wrote:
His name sounds like a setup for a parable: "Mississippi John Hurt, so he played the blues to make his self feel better." And we feel better, too, for his having done so. Quite an artist, he was.
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Hutsmod wrote:
God I love this man
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catholicbird wrote:
and then like ring the bells and shit and twiddle my ponytails
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catholicbird wrote:
I would like to put him in a wicker basket on a bicycle and ride around with him in it like a little kitten.
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Five_Long_Years wrote:
He feels like that friendly grandpa that every child would love to have. At least I know I would. [2]
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Recent Activity
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jcdooleyz, poetic-justice, Saskatchewan_ and 10 other people added Mississippi John Hurt to their libraries. 4 hours ago
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furabo2000 tagged Mississippi John Hurt with ‘blues’. Tuesday afternoon
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dontboreme tagged Mississippi John Hurt with ‘blues’. last week
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