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"Mississippi" John Hurt

Author
Michael Erlewine

The history of Mississippi John Hurt reads like a real Cinderella story. Born John Smith Hurt on July 3, 1893 in Teoc (Carroll Co), Mississippi, his family moved to Avalon, Mississippi (where he grew up) when he was 2 years of age. One of ten children (all who played music of one sort or another), Hurt was the most into it and taught himself how to play. Years later, when his white landlord asked how he came up with his melodies, he replied, “Well sir, I just make it sound like I think it should.”

Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt in a recording session. Photo: Library of Congress

Although he learned to read and write, he did not attend school past the fourth grade. As a young adult, he became a sharecropper or tenant farmer for many years, but finally gave that up and switched to day labor. For fun and extra cash, Hurt joined other local guitarists and fiddlers for church suppers and town dances in surrounding towns. Hurt soon became a popular favorite at these local functions.

In the late 1920s, a well-known fiddler named Willie Narmour with whom Hurt often played was spotted by a talent scout for Okeh Phonograph, a part of Columbia Records. When asked about other talented local musicians, Narmour gave them the name of John Hurt and directions on how to find him. Okeh found and interviewed Hurt, had him play a few songs, and decided to record him, provided he was willing to travel to Memphis and New York. 

Hurt recorded two songs in February of 1928 while in Memphis, “Frankie” and “Nobody’s Dirty Business,” and these were released by Okeh. That December, Hurt traveled to New York City to record five more sides. During that visit he met Lonnie Johnson, but made a point of declaring that he cribbed nothing from that great guitarist. Hurt’s records did not sell in great numbers, perhaps in the hundreds. After his short musical excursion, John returned to Avalon and went back to sharecropping and playing music just about every Saturnday night in the towns surrounding his home. 

That could have been the end of Hurt’s national career had not two young blues musicians from Washington D.C., Tom Hoskins and Mike Stewart, come across the original Okeh recording of “Avalon Blues.” This was in 1963. Intrigued by John’s intricate finger-picking style, they came up with the idea of trying to locate some of the original artists, should they still be alive. They checked the Mississippi maps, but no town named Avalon could be found. However, after locating an 1878 atlas, sure enough, there was an Avalon marked on a rural road running between Greenwood and Grenada. On a hope and a whim, the two blues archivists headed south armed with a tape recorder. With the help of the old map, they found Avalon with its single gas station/store and inquired about John Hurt.

They were floored to see the attendant point down the road and say that Hurt’s house was “About a mile down that road, third mail box up the hill. Can’t miss it.” Hurt, at 71 years of age, was waiting for them, alive and still able to sing and play about as well as he had before. They recorded John and returned to Washington with the precious taped results and the rediscovery of Mississippi John Hurt. He was a complete and instant success in the folk/blues scene.

From the Spring of 1963, when he was brought to Washington D.C. to perform, until his death in 1966, hurt played all over the North East at clubs and many folk festivals, including twice at the Newport Folk Festival. Much admired by his new-found audience, Hurt loved his late success and gave as much as he got. He was befriended by fellow performers like Doc watson, Fred McDowell, and Elizabeth Cotten. In the end, he retired to a small home in Granada, Mississippi, not far from his home town of Avalon. So much for a great story; the music is just as good.

Mississippi John Hurt is an exquisite country blues singer/guitarist with a subtle voice and refined finger-picking guitar style. As mentioned, he recorded in the 20s and again in the 60s and both periods are well worth hearing. Here is acoustic country blues with real technical clarity that is also comforting and easy to listen to. There is a gospel flavor in Hurt's blues. Mississippi John Hurt projects a sense of dignity and kindliness through all of his recordings. If you have trouble with the sometimes heaviness of many blues players, you may find Hurt refreshing. 

Mississippi John Hurt Today/Vanguard -- These is material recorded after his rediscovery in 1963. Includes classic Hurt tunes like “Candy Man” and “Coffee Blues.” Wonderful listening.

Mississippi John Hurt Avalon Blues 1965 -- Recorded in April of 1963, these are part of the legacy of Hurt after his rediscovery. Contains “Avalon Blues,” “Candyman Blues” -- 11 cuts in all. Great. 

The Best of Mississippi John Hurt/Vanguard twofer -- Contains 21 tracks (two albums) of rediscovered John Hurt that was recorded on April 15, 1965. Has such classics as “Candy Man,” “Avalon,” “C.C. Rider,” and “Spanish Fandango.” Excellent.

Mississippi John Hurt Worried Blues 1963 -- This is some of the Vanguard material recorded in April of 1963, not long after Hurt’s rediscovery. It contains 10 tracks with “Worried Blues,” and “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep.”

(5 stars) Mississippi John Hurt 1928 Sessions/Yazoo -- The 13 original 1928 recordings of Hurt. Justifiably legendary, with gentle grace and power on these understated vocal and fingerpicking masterpieces. These are the ones to hear, although all Hurt is worth listening to. -- Michael Erlewine & Mark A. Humphrey

Rights Held By
Michael Erlewine