Henry "Son" Sims
Henry "Son" Sims (August 22, 1890 – December 23, 1958)[1] was an American Delta blues fiddler and songwriter. He is best known as an accompanist for Charley Patton and the young Muddy Waters.
Henry "Son" Sims | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Henry Sims |
| Born | August 22, 1890 Anguilla, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | December 23, 1958 (aged 68) Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Delta blues[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Fiddler, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Fiddle, guitar, piano, mandolin[2] |
| Years active | 1920s–1950s |
| Labels | Paramount |
Life and career
Sims was born in Anguilla, Mississippi,[1] the only son of five children. He learned to play the fiddle from his grandfather.[1] Sims served with the US Army in France during World War I.
Sims went on to be the leader of the Mississippi Corn Shuckers, a rural string ensemble, and played with them for a number of years. He joined his childhood friend Charley Patton in a recording session for Paramount Records in Grafton, Wisconsin, in June 1929.[1][3][4] Sims accompanied Patton on fiddle on thirteen tracks,[4] including "Elder Greene Blues", "Going to Move to Alabama" and "Devil Sent the Rain Blues";[3] and recorded four of his own songs, including "Tell Me Man Blues", his best-known composition, and "Farrell Blues".[1] He played alongside Patton at times until the Patton's death in 1934, when Sims returned to working on a plantation.[3] By then he could also play the mandolin, guitar and piano.[1]
On August 28, 1941, Sims accompanied Muddy Waters in a recording session[1][5] under the direction of Alan Lomax, as part of his recordings for the Library of Congress.[3] In the 1940s, Sims also accompanied Robert Nighthawk on several occasions. He continued a solo career into the 1950s.
Sims died following renal surgery in December 1958 in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 68.[2] He was buried in an unmarked grave in Bell Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Recordings
Singles
Henry "Son" Sims (vocals), Patton accompanying guitar
| Recording Date | Recording Location | Matrix | Song | Paramount Issue # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1929 | Grafton, Wisconsin | L0046 | "Come Back Corrinna" | 12912-A |
| November 1929 | Grafton, Wisconsin | L0045 | "Farrell Blues" | 12912-B |
| December 1929 | Grafton, Wisconsin | L0066 | "Be True, Be True Blues" | 12940-A |
| December 1929 | Grafton, Wisconsin | L0065 | "Tell Me Man Blues" | 12940-B |
Compilation album appearances
| Title | on album(s) |
|---|---|
| "Tell Me Man Blues" | Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton; Violin, Sing the Blues for Me: African-American Fiddlers 1926–1949 |
| "Farrell Blues" | Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton; The Great Race Record Labels, Vol. 1 |
| "Be True, Be True Blues" | Mississippi Blues 1927–1941 |
| "Come Back Corrina" | Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton |
With Muddy Waters
- The Complete Plantation Recordings (Chess, 1941–42, [1993])
See also
Further reading
- Calt, Stephen; Wardlow, Gayle (1988). King of the Delta Blues: The Life and Music of Charlie Patton. ISBN 0961861002.
- Palmer, Robert (1995). Deep Blues. ISBN 0140062238.
References
- Layne, Joslyn. "Henry 'Son' Sims: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
- Doc Rock. "The 50s and Earlier". TheDeadRockStarsClub.com. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
- Gioia, Ted (2008). Delta Blues. New York: W. W. Norton. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-393-06258-8.
- Dicaire, David (1999). Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Legendary Artists of the Early 20th Century. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 7. ISBN 0-7864-0606-2.
- "McKinley Morganfield 'Muddy Waters': Delta School". Cr.nps.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
- "Henry 'Son' Sims: Songs". Allmusic.com. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
- "Mississippi Blues 1927–1941 (Yazoo, 1968)". Record-fiend.blogspot.co.uk. June 7, 2010. Retrieved March 18, 2012.