T-Model Ford

James Lewis Carter Ford (probably June 24, 1923[1] – July 16, 2013) was an American blues musician, using the name T-Model Ford.[2] Unable to remember his exact date of birth, he began his musical career in his early 70s, and continuously recorded for the Fat Possum label, then switched to Alive Naturalsound Records. His musical style combined the rawness of Delta blues[2] with Chicago blues and juke joint blues styles.[3][4][5]

For the motor vehicle, see Ford Model T.
T-Model Ford
T-Model Ford at Tea Bazaar in Charlottesville, Virginia, on March 1, 2010
T-Model Ford at Tea Bazaar in Charlottesville, Virginia, on March 1, 2010
Background information
Birth nameJames Lewis Carter Ford
Born(1923-06-24)June 24, 1923 (probable)
Forest, Mississippi, United States
DiedJuly 16, 2013(2013-07-16) (aged 90)
Greenville, Mississippi, United States
GenresBlues
Occupation(s)Musician, singer
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active1997–2013
LabelsFat Possum, Alive Naturalsound

Biography

According to records, Ford was born in Forest, Mississippi, between 1921 and 1925.[6] Researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc indicate June 24, 1923,[1] though at the time of his death his record company gave his age as 94, suggesting a birth in 1918 or 1919.[7] According to an interview recorded for his album "The Ladies Man", Ford's passport gives his date of birth as June 24, 1921 but his Mississippi driver's licence gives it as June 27, 1924. Starting with an abusive father who had permanently injured him at eleven, Ford lived his entire life in a distressed and violent environment, towards which he was quite indifferent.[8]

Ford, an illiterate, worked in various blue collar jobs as early as his preteen years, such as plowing fields, working at a sawmill, and later in life becoming a lumber company foreman and then a truck driver. At this time, Ford was sentenced to ten years on a chain gang for murder. Allegedly, Ford was able to reduce his sentence to two years.[6] He spent many of his years following his release in conflicts with law enforcement.

Ford lived in Greenville, Mississippi and for a time wrote an advice column for Arthur magazine. Reportedly, he had twenty six children.[8][9]

According to music writer Will Hodgkinson, who met and interviewed Ford for his book Guitar Man, Ford took up the guitar when his fifth wife left him and gave him a guitar as a leaving present. Ford trained himself without being able to read music or guitar tabs. Hodgkinson observed that Ford could not explain his technique. He simply worked out a way of playing that sounded like the guitarists he admired — Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.

Ford toured juke joints and other venues, for a while opening for Buddy Guy.[2] In 1995, he was discovered by Matthew Johnson of Fat Possum Records,[9] under which he released five albums from 1997 to 2008.

In 1997 T-Model Ford was featured in a 26-minute documentary JUKE Directed by Mary Flannery and produced by Yellow Cat Productions. T-Model appeared along with Farmer John and John Horton.

Since 2008, Ford worked with the Seattle-based band, GravelRoad. The project began as a single event, with Ford needing assistance to play the Deep Blues Festival in Minnesota in July 2008. GravelRoad, longtime fans of Ford and performers already scheduled for the festival, agreed to provide support for a ten-show United States tour for Ford through July.

Ford had a pacemaker inserted at the end of that tour, but appeared on stage again with GravelRoad in 2008, 2009 and 2010. He suffered a stroke in early 2010, but despite difficulty with right-hand mobility, managed to complete a successful tour with GravelRoad. This tour concluded with an appearance at Pickathon Festival. Ford and GravelRoad opened the third day of the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival, in New York over Labor Day weekend, 2010, curated by American independent film-maker Jim Jarmusch.

GravelRoad backed Ford on his 2010 and 2011 albums, The Ladies Man and Taledragger, both released by Alive Naturalsound Records.

Ford suffered a second stroke in the summer of 2012 that limited his public appearances.[10] However, he was able to perform at that year's King Biscuit Blues Festival in October.

On July 16, 2013, Fat Possum announced that Ford died at home in Greenville of respiratory failure, after a prolonged illness.[7][11]

The Mount Zion Memorial Fund, organised the placing of a headstone for Ford at Green Lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery, near Greenville, Mississippi. The ceremony was on May 31, 2014. The grave marker was designed by Amos Harvey and engraved by Alan Orlicek.[12]

Discography
  • Pee-Wee Get My Gun - 1997 (Fat Possum)
  • You Better Keep Still - 1999 (Fat Possum)
  • She Ain't None of Your'n - 2000 (Fat Possum)
  • Bad Man - 2002 (Fat Possum)
  • Don't Get Out Talkin' It - 2008 (Fat Possum)
  • Jack Daniel Time - 2008 (Mudpuppy)
  • The Ladies Man - 2010 (Alive Naturalsound)
  • Taledragger - 2011 (Alive Naturalsound)[2]
  • I Was Born In A Swamp - 2021 (Alive Naturalsound)[2]

References
  1. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 117. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  2. "Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  3. Ventre, Sarah (2011-02-03). "T-Model Ford @ The Rhythm Room". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  4. Blake, J (2011-02-10). "T-Model Ford's Taledragger, CD Review". American Blues News. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  5. Jenkins, Mark (2010-02-26). "CD review: T-Model Ford's 'The Ladies Man'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  6. "Artists » T-Model Ford | Fat Possum Records". Fatpossum.com. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  7. "R.I.P. T-Model Ford | Fat Possum Records". Fatpossum.com. Archived from the original on 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  8. Grant, Richard (November 16, 2003). "Delta Force". The Observer. London. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  9. McInerney, Jay. "White man at the door; one man's mission to record the 'dirty blues' — before everyone dies." The New Yorker, February 4, 2002: 54+. Academic OneFile. October 17, 2011.
  10. "Music Calendar". Cathead.biz. Archived from the original on 2011-10-16. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  11. "Blues singer/guitarist 'T-Model' Ford dies". Usatoday.com. 2013-07-16. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  12. "Grave Marker Dedication for James "T-Model" Ford on Saturday, May 31 in Greenville, Mississippi". Thelocalvoice.net. 27 May 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
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