Today: The late Robert Nighthawk was born in 1909 – 103 years ago

robert-nighthawk

 

Of all the pivotal figures in blues history, certainly one of the most important was Robert Nighthawk. He bridged the gap between Delta and Chicago blues effortlessly, taking his slide cues from Tampa Red and stamping them with a Mississippi edge learned first hand from his cousin, Houston Stackhouse.
~Cub Koda (allmuisc.com)

 

Anna Lee:

From Wikipedia:

Birth name Robert Lee McCollum
Also known as Robert Lee McCoy
Robert Nighthawk
Born November 30, 1909
Helena, Arkansas, United States
Died November 5, 1967 (aged 57)
Helena, Arkansas, United States
Genres Blues
Occupations Musician
Instruments Vocals, slide guitar,harmonica
Labels Victor Records
Bluebird
Decca
Aristocrat Records
Chess Records
United Records
States Records
Associated acts Memphis Jug Band

Robert Lee

 Return Mail Blues:

Nighthawk was honored by the Mississippi Blues Commission places a historic marker in Friars Point, Mississippi, marking his position on the Mississippi Blues Trail.

Album of the day:

Prowling with the Nighthawk (2005):

….So while the sound quality jumps around a bit (and this is the best most of this material has ever sounded), the variety of material from different times ultimately makes for a better listen than presenting each session in order. Once you’ve heard Nighthawk’s mature slide style, there’s no mistaking it for anyone else, and it’s quite interesting to trace his development as a player over time, from the acoustic forays of the ’30s to the fantastic electrified solo on “Return Mail Blues” in the late ’40s. Despite his lack of name recognition,Robert Nighthawk was one of the greats, and Prowling With the Nighthawk is a great collection of some truly vital material.
~Sean Westergaard (allmusic.com)

Other November 30:

  • Luther Ingram (November 30, 1937 – March 19, 2007) was an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter. His most successful record, “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right”, reached no. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and no. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1972.
  • William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rockmusician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X. He then embarked on a successful solo career, and was a member of the MTV-driven “Second British Invasion” of the United States.[2] A series of music videos for songs such as “White Wedding”, “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face” made him one of the first MTV stars. Idol continues to tour with guitarist Steve Stevens.
  • June Antoinette Pointer Whitmore (November 30, 1953 – April 11, 2006) was an American pop/R&B singer and was a founding member and lead vocalist of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters.

-Egil