Papa Lightfoot
Papa Lightfoot, also known as Papa George Lightfoot (March 2, 1924 – November 28, 1971), born Alexander Lightfoot, was an American blues singer and harmonica player.[1]
Papa Lightfoot | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alexander Lightfoot |
| Also known as | Papa George Lightfoot |
| Born | March 2, 1924 |
| Origin | Natchez, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | November 28, 1971 (aged 47) |
| Genres | Blues, Delta blues |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, harmonica |
Biography
Born in Natchez, Mississippi, Lightfoot recorded several sessions in his late twenties – for Peacock Records in 1949[1] (which were never issued), Sultan Records in 1950, Aladdin Records in 1952, and Imperial Records in 1954. After final singles for Savoy Records in 1955 and Excello Records in 1956,[2] Lightfoot quit recording, still an obscure Southern blues harmonica player.[1]
As interest grew in rural Delta blues in the 1960s, Lightfoot's name became more well-known and, in 1969, record producer Steve LaVere went to Lightfoot's home town of Natchez, and asked him to record again.[3] The result was the album Natchez Trace, released on Vault Records in 1969, which brought Lightfoot briefly to the forefront of the blues revival.[1] Rural Blues Vol. 2 followed on Liberty Records later that same year.[4]
However, his comeback was cut short by his death in November 1971 of respiratory failure.[5]
The recordings were reissued in 1995 as Goin' Back to the Natchez Trace, with six additional tracks and recorded monologue.[6]
In 2009, Lightfoot was posthumously honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Natchez, granted by the Mississippi Blues Foundation.[7][8]
See also
References
- Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 238. ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
- "Illustrated Papa George Lightfoot discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- "Papa George Lightfoot | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- "Papa George Lightfoot | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- "The Dead Rock Stars Club - The 1970s". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- Bognadanov et al., p. 341
- Mickens, Cassandra (September 5, 2009). "Blues Trail marker unveiled for Lightfoot". Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- "The Mississippi Blues Trail - Complete List of Installed Markers". Msbluestrail.org. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
Sources
- Papa Lightfoot at Allmusic.com
- AllMusic Guide to the Blues: the definitive guide to the blues, by Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, p. 341 (page available in Google books)