Who was Paul Bigsby? Who was Les Paul? Who was Leo Fender? Paul Bigsby was an American inventor who was a pioneer of the solid body electric guitar. He built such a guitar for singer, songwriter and guitarist Merle Travis in 1948. This instrument made brand new guitar sounds, with more volume, and with no […]

There is really no need for very much commentary here. Master musician, sax player, singer, songwriter, bandleader, record seller and entertainer Louis Jordan has all the elements assembled and put to work in this historic record. Louis Jordan was born on July 8, 1908 in Brinkley, Arkansas. His father was a music teacher, bandleader and […]

We turn now to two very important records in the late ‘40s-early ‘50s gestation period leading to the birth of Rock & Roll Music in the mid-‘50s. Chicken Shack Boogie was written and recorded by Amos Milburn, R&B/Jump Blues singer, self-taught piano player, and songwriter. Milburn was born in Houston, Texas on April 1, 1927. […]

Hank Williams, born in Butler County, Alabama on September 17, 1923, singer, songwriter and musician. Hank was given a guitar at about 10 years of age. He was taught how to play the chords, progressions, and bass lines and turns in Blues and Folk Music on his guitar by Rufus Payne, an African American Blues […]