Eddie Mapp (c. 1910 – November 14, 1931) was an American country blues harmonicist. He is best known for his accompaniment on records by Barbecue Bob and Curley Weaver.

Biography

Mapp was born in

Social Circle In the social sciences, a social group can be defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties ...

, Walton County, Georgia. He relocated in 1922 to

Newton County Newton County is the name of six counties in the United States. All except for Arkansas (and perhaps Mississippi) are named for Sgt. John Newton, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War who became a fictionalized hero. Many counties share a bo ...

, where he met the guitar player Curley Weaver. Mapp was noted in Newton County as a harmonica virtuoso with a unique style, who often performed for tips on the street. In 1925 Weaver and Mapp left for Atlanta. The twosome played at country dances. Weaver then formed a group with Mapp, Barbecue Bob, and Bob's brother

Charlie Hicks Charles A. Hicks (January 4, 1939, Marion, North Carolina – May 12, 2015), also known as "Charlie B", was an American broadcaster familiar to listeners in radio markets throughout the southeastern United States. He worked in the field for 55 ...

and continued to play locally. In 1929, billed as the Georgia Cotton Pickers, they recorded for the Atlanta-based QRS label. Mapp also cut one solo track, "Riding the Blinds", the same year. None of the songs sold well. In November 1931, Mapp was found stabbed on an Atlanta street corner. His death certificate recorded that the

brachial artery The brachial artery is the major blood vessel of the (upper) arm. It is the continuation of the axillary artery beyond the lower margin of teres major muscle. It continues down the ventral surface of the arm until it reaches the cubital fossa ...

in his left arm had been severed. It gave his age as twenty. No one was charged with his murder. The certificate also noted that he was a musician; it was unusual at the time for a

coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

to acknowledge such employment. Allmusic notes that there is some doubt regarding Mapp's year of birth.

Discography

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

, ''Georgia Blues 1928–33'', released in 1994 by

Document Records Document Records is an independent record label, founded in Austria and now based in Scotland, that specializes in reissuing vintage blues and jazz. The company has been recognised by The Blues Foundation, being honoured with a Keeping the ...

(DOCD-5110), provides the most complete discography of Mapp's work. It includes the following pieces featuring Mapp: *Curley Weaver and Eddie Mapp, "No No Blues" and "It's the Best Stuff Yet" *Eddie Mapp and Guy Lumpkin, "Decatur Street Drag" and "Riding the Blinds" *Slim Barton, Eddie Mapp and James Moore, "I'm Hot Like That", "Careless Love", "Wicked Travelin' Blues", "

It's Tight Like That "It's Tight Like That" is a hokum or dirty blues song, initially recorded by Tampa Red and Thomas A. Dorsey, Georgia Tom on October 24, 1928. The 10" Gramophone record, shellac disc single was released by Vocalion Records in December 1928. A succe ...

" and "Poor Convict Blues" *Eddie Mapp, James Moore and Guy Lumpkin, "Where You Been So Long" (1929) *Slim Barton and Eddie Mapp, "Fourth Avenue Blues" (1929)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mapp, Eddie 1910s births 1931 murders in the United States 1931 deaths 1931 crimes in the United States 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American singers American blues harmonica players American blues singers American murder victims Deaths by stabbing in the United States Harmonica blues musicians Male murder victims People from Social Circle, Georgia People murdered in Georgia (U.S. state) Singers from Georgia (U.S. state) Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Unsolved murders in the United States

Biography

Discography

See also

References