Sleepy John Estes

SLEEPY JOHN ESTES d1977. American blues guitarist, songwriter and vocalist. His music influenced such artists as The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin. He made his debut as a recording artist in Memphis Tennessee in 1929, at a session organized by Ralph Peer for Victor Records. He recorded the tracks "Drop Down Mama" and "Someday Baby Blues" with Hammie Nixon in 1935. He later worked with Son Bonds and Charlie Pickett. He went on to record for Decca Records and Bluebird Records with his last prewar recording session taking place in 1941. He made a brief return to recording at Sun Studio in Memphis in 1952, recording "Runnin' Around" and "Rats in My Kitchen", but otherwise was out of the public eye in the 1940s and 1950s. He sang with a distinctive "crying" vocal style. He frequently teamed with more capable musicians, such as Yank Rachell / Hammie Nixon and the piano player Jab Jones. He sounded so much like an old man, even on his early records, that blues revivalists reportedly delayed looking for him because they assumed he would have to be long dead. By the time he was tracked down by the blues historians Bob Koester and Samuel Charters in 1962, he was completely blind and living in poverty. He resumed touring with Nixon and recording for Delmark Records appearing at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964. He died of a stroke aged 77 on June 5th 1977