Papa Charlie Jackson (November 10, 1887 – May 7, 1938) was an early Americanbluesman and songster who accompanied himself with a banjo guitar, a guitar, or a
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
. His recording career began in 1924. Much of his life remains a mystery, but his draft card lists his birthplace as
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
, on May 7, 1938.
Career
He was born William Henry Jackson. Initially, he performed in
minstrel show
The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century.
Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spe ...
s and
medicine show
Medicine shows were touring acts (traveling by truck, horse, or wagon teams) that peddled "miracle cure" patent medicines and other products between various entertainments. They developed from European mountebank shows and were common in the Unit ...
s.Harris, Sheldon (1994). ''Blues Who's Who'' (rev. ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. p. 263. . From the early 1920s into the 1930s, he played frequent club dates in Chicago and was noted for
busking
Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pra ...
at Chicago's Maxwell Street Market. In August 1924, he recorded the commercially successful "Airy Man Blues" and "Papa's Lawdy Lawdy Blues" for
Paramount Records
Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson.
Early years
Paramount Records was formed in ...
. In April 1925, Jackson released his version of "
Shave 'Em Dry
"Shave 'Em Dry" is a dirty blues song, first recorded by Ma Rainey in August 1924 in Chicago. It was released on Paramount Records on September 6, 1924. Rainey was accompanied on the recording by two unknown guitarists (one of them was possibly Mil ...
". One of his subsequent tracks, "
Salty Dog Blues
"Salty Dog Blues" is a folk song from the early 1900s. Musicians have recorded it in a number of styles, including blues, jazz, country music, bluegrass. Papa Charlie Jackson recorded an adaptation for Paramount and Broadway in 1924. According ...
", became his most famous song. Among his recordings are several in which he accompanied classic female blues singers, such as Ida Cox,
Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893October 26, 1952) was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, ...
, and
Ma Rainey
Gertrude "Ma" Rainey ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early blues recording artist. Dubbed the "Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of ...
.
According to the blues writer Bruce Eder, Jackson achieved "a musical peak of sorts in September of 1929 when he got to record with his longtime idol, Blind Arthur Blake, often known as the king of ragtime guitar during this period. 'Papa Charlie and Blind Blake Talk About It' parts one and two are among the most unusual sides of the late '20s, containing elements of blues jam session, hokum recording, and ragtime." A few more recordings for the Paramount label followed in 1929 and 1930. In 1934, Jackson recorded for Okeh Records, and the following year he recorded with
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music
Country (also called country and western) is ...
. Altogether, Jackson recorded 66 sides during his career.
Recordings
* "Airy Man Blues" 1924
* "Shake that Thing" 1925
* "All I Want is a Spoonful" 1925
* "Bad Luck Woman" 1926
* "Let's Get Along" 1926
* "Baby, Don't You Be So Mean" 1927
* "Ash Tray Blues" 1928
* "Baby Papa Needs His Loving" 1929
* "Baby Please Loan Me Your Heart" 1929
Legacy
Jackson was an influential figure in blues music. He was the first self-accompanied blues musician to make records. He was one of the first musicians of the
hokum
Hokum is a particular song type of American blues music—a humorous song which uses extended analogies or euphemistic terms to make sexual innuendos. This trope goes back to early blues recordings and is used from time to time in modern Ameri ...
genre, which uses comic, often sexually suggestive lyrics and lively, danceable rhythms. He wrote or was the first to record several songs that became blues standards, including "All I Want Is a Spoonful" and "Salty Dog".Herzhaft, G., Harris, P., Haussler, J., and Mikofsky, A. J. (1997). ''Encyclopedia of the Blues''. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press. p. 93. . Nonetheless, he has received little attention from blues historians.
Jackson's "Shake That Thing" was
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of ...
by
Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, an ...
in 1964. "Loan Me Your Heart" appeared on the Wildpary Sheiks' eponymous album in 2002. The
Carolina Chocolate Drops
The Carolina Chocolate Drops were an old-time string band from Durham, North Carolina. Their 2010 album, '' Genuine Negro Jig,'' won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, and was number 9 in '' fRo ...
recorded "Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine" on their
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
–winning 2010 album, '' Genuine Negro Jig'', and often played the song in interviews after its release.
A brief selection from "Shake That Thing" was used in the television series ''
Sanford and Son
''Sanford and Son'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'', which initially aired on BBC One in the Unite ...
'', in the 1973 episode entitled "The Blind Mellow Jelly Collection", in which Fred Sanford, played by
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights moveme ...
List of country blues musicians
The following is a list of country blues musicians.
A
*Alger "Texas" Alexander (September 12, 1900, Jewett, Texas – April 16, 1954). Singer, a forebear of Texas blues. He did not play a musical instrument but was backed by such artists as ...