One String Sam

Sam Wilson, known as One String Sam, was an American Detroit blues musician, who specialised in playing the diddley bow. Details of his life are scant, but he recorded two tracks described as an "eerie, spooky, and riveting version of country blues". He also performed at the 1973 and 1974 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festivals.

One String Sam
Birth nameSam Wilson
GenresDetroit blues
Occupation(s)Singer, diddley bow player
Instrument(s)Vocals, diddley bow
Years active1956–1974[1]

Biography

Little is known of the life of One String Sam, apart from his limited recording and concert performances. He was largely a street entertainer, based in Detroit, Michigan.[2] In the same city, Joe's Record Shop was founded in 1945 and then based on 3530 Hastings Street. It was owned by Joe Von Battle, and he sold records and recorded music with such as John Lee Hooker, C. L. Franklin and Aretha Franklin.[3] One day, in 1956, One String Sam entered the Shop and, with Battle's assistance, he recorded two distinctive tracks. These were "I Need a Hundred Dollars" and "My Baby, Oooo." Sam accompanied his singing by playing a home-made diddley bow. The musical instrument had an electric guitar pickup fitted and Sam played the fretless, one string instrument utilising an empty baby food jar as a slide. One String Sam used the open jar as a makeshift echo chamber when vocalising into the recording microphone. AllMusic noted that the two tracks presented "an eerie, spooky, and riveting version of country blues".[2] The two sides were issued on a 10" shellac disc on Battle's own J-V-B Recordings record label.[4] In August 2014, a vinyl copy of the original single was sold at an online auction for $1922.[5]

After the recording was completed, One String Sam returned to playing on Detroit's streets for a number of years. His eventual absence from doing so was noted, although it was subsequently discovered that he had relocated to Inkster, Michigan.[2]

In 1973, One String Sam was persuaded to perform at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival. He was recorded performing two tracks, "I Need a Hundred Dollars" and "I Got to Go."[2] These two sides[6] were released on Motor City Blues / Please Mr. Foreman, on Schoolkids' Records.[7]

There are sources which suggest that One String Sam also performed at the Festival the following year.[8] The peculiarity was that it was staged at the campus of St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, due to problems in obtaining the necessary permit in Ann Arbor itself.[9] The Ann Arbor Sun reported in September 1974, that One String Sam's presence was his second appearance at the Festival.[8] After this, details of One String Sam's ongoing existence are not recorded.[2]

Live performances
Event Date Venue
Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival September 8, 1973 Otis Spann Memorial Field, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
B. B. King (One String Sam was support act) October 19, 1973 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
One String Sam October 30, 1973 Primo Showbar, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
One String Sam March 19, 1974 Primo Showbar, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
1st Annual CMU Jazz Festival March 24, 1974 Warriner Hall, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States
Blues Extravaganza April 5, 1974 Toledo Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio, United States
Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival September 8, 1974 Griffin Hollow Amphitheatre, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

[1]

Discography

Single
Year A-side B-side Record type Label
1956 "My Baby, Oooo" "I Need A Hundred Dollars" Shellac, 10" J-V-B Recordings (J-V-B 40)

[4]

Compilation album appearances
Year Title Label Tracks
1973 Please Mr. Foreman - Motor City Blues: Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1973 Schoolkids Records studio versions of "I Need A Hundred Dollars" and "My Baby, Oooo".[10]
1995 Rural Blues Vol 1 (1934-1956) Document Records studio versions of "I Need A Hundred Dollars" and "My Baby, Oooo".[11]
1998 Motor City Blues Total Energy contains live recordings of "I Need a Hundred Dollars" and "I Got to Go".[12]
2010 One String Blues Masters DeltaCat five tracks by Sam including "My Baby, Oooo", "Walk With Me Lord", two versions of "I Need A Hundred Dollars" and "I Got To Go".[13]

See also

References
  1. "One String Sam : Concert list". The Concertdatabase.com. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  2. "One String Sam | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  3. "The "Detroitist" on her dad's record shop and what it really meant". Marketplace.org. 21 August 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  4. "One String Sam - My Baby, Oooo". 45cat.com. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  5. "Blues 78 JVB 40 One String Sam : "My Baby, Oooo" - auction details". Popsike.com. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  6. "One String Sam - Biography & History - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  7. "Motor City Blues/Please Mr. Foreman - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  8. "One String Sam | Ann Arbor District Library". Aadl.org. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  9. "Jazz Festival: out to out-Newport Newport! | Ann Arbor District Library". Aadl.org. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  10. "Please Mr. Foreman - Motor City Blues: Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1973 - Various Artists | AllMusic". Allmusic. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  11. "Release "Rural Blues, Volume 1 (1934-1956)" by Various Artists - MusicBrainz". Musicbrainz.org. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  12. "Motor City Blues - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  13. "Illustrated Eddie "One-String" Jones discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
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