Mississippi Fred Mcdowell profile picture

Mississippi Fred Mcdowell

About Me

BIO
b. January 12, 1904 in Rossville, Tennesee
d. July 3, 1972 in Memphis, Tennessee
In the spoken introduction to the Capital Blues Collection I Don't Play No Rock 'N' Roll Mississippi Fred Mc Dowell says, " My type of blues, I play it with a bottleneck, you understand, see - rib what come out of a steak." Mississippi Fred later switched to a glass bottleneck because "it get's more clear sound out of it." McDowell is a classic bottleneck slide guitar player that made an impact on this blues lover many years ago. Man this guy can make that "bone" talk.
McDowell is a master of Delta country blues and the slide guitar. In my pilgrimage to discover true slide blues guitar players…it was either Fred McDowell or Furry Lewis who was the first true country blues slide guitar player that I heard…but it was Fred McDowell that captured a sound that has inspired the likes of Bonnie Raitt and the Rolling Stones. His approach is not complex, but it has the feel. Some players can play the notes…Fred not only can play with feeling, but he also plays with that touch. Fred McDowell is the real deal, he was true to his Delta roots and stayed with his path his entire career.
Fred was born in 1904 in Rossville, Tennessee (McDowell didn't mind that they called him Mississippi since he ultimately settled in Mississippi in 1940). In his younger years, during the 1920's, he played for tips in Memphis. Finding that the musician hobo life wasn't for him, he settled down in Mississippi-- farming during the week-- and playing house parties, fish fries, and dances near his home for a few dollars and a little something to drink on the weekends.
It is hard to believe he wasn't recorded until folklorist Alan Lomax discovered him in 1959 and recorded him as a part of the American folk music series on Atlantic. Fred continued farming and playing for tips until Chris Strachwitz went looking for Fred in 1964 and recorded "Fred McDowell. Volume 1 and Volume 2" on Arhoolie (now issued as Mississippi Delta Blues). Things really took off after these recordings.
Fred enjoyed performing dates at coffeehouses, the Newport Folk Festival, and became a member of the American Folk Blues Festival in Europe. The Rolling Stones invited him to Europe and the story goes that they bought him a silver-lame suit that he wore home to Como and was eventually buried in it.
McDowell's covers of "Baby Please Don't Go," "Good Morning Little School Girl," and "Jesus Is On The Mainline" are classic delta style slide guitar classics. I'm sure Ry Cooder was influenced by McDowell's expressive slide playing.
Cub Coda said, "right to the end, the man remained true to his word: he didn't play no rock "n" roll, just straight, natural blues." Man that guy could play some natural slide. Give Bonnie Raitt a listen and you will hear McDowell's influence all over her work.
Recommended Recordings
1. Mississippi Delta Blues - Arhoolie
2. You Gotta Move
3. Portraits-First Recordings
4. I Do Not Play No Rock N Roll
Albums:
1964- Fred McDowell: Mississippi Delta Blues
1964- My Home Is In The Delta: Blues and Spirituals by Fred and Annie McDowell
1964- Fred McDowell And The Hunter's Chapel Singers: Amazing Grace
1965- Fred McDowell: Mississippi Delta Blues
1966- Fred McDowell, Vol. 2
1967- Long Way From Home: The Blues Of Fred McDowell
1969- Fred McDowell And His Blues Boys
1969- Mississippi Fred McDowell: I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll
1969- Mississippi Fred McDowell In London
1969- Mississippi Fred McDowell In London Volume Two
1970- Fred McDowell / Furry Lewis: When I Lay My Burden Down
1971- Fred McDowell and Johnny Woods: Eight Years Ramblin'
1971- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Live In New York 1972- Mississippi Fred McDowell: 1904-1972
1973- Fred McDowell: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning
1973- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Somebody Keeps Calling Me
1980- Fred McDowell: Levee Camp Blues 1982- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Shake Em On Down - Live In New York
19? - Mississippi Fred McDowell
1984- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Standing At The Burying Ground
1986- Phil Guy / Mississippi Fred McDowell: Dose Of Double Dynamite
1988- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Shake 'Em On Down: 1959
1993- Mississippi Fred McDowell: You Gotta Move
1993- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Train I Ride
1994- Fred McDowell, Furry Lewis, Robert Wilkins: When I Lay My Burden Down
1995- Mississippi Fred McDowell: I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll: Complete Sessions
199?- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Good Morning Little School Girl
1995- Mississippi Fred McDowell: This Ain't No Rock & Roll
1996- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Steakbone Slide Guitar
1997- Fred McDowell: Portraits: The First Recordings
1998- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Shake 'Em on Down
2000- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Live At The Gaslight
2001- The Best Of Mississippi Fred McDowell
2003- Mississippi Fred McDowell: Heritage Of The Blues
200?- V. A.: Preaching the Blues - Tribute to Mississippi Fred McDowell
2003- The Very Best Of Mississippi Fred McDowell

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/26/2006
Band Members: Fred McDowell
Influences: MyGen Profile Generator
Early country blues

* Alger "Texas" Alexander (1900-1954)
* Pink Anderson (1900-1974)
* Barbecue Bob (1902-1931)
* Scrapper Blackwell (1903-1962)
* Black Ace (1907-1972)
* Blind Blake (c. 1893-c. 1933)
* Big Bill Broonzy (1893/1898-1958)
* Richard "Rabbit" Brown (c. 1880-c. 1937)
* Bumble Bee Slim (1905-1968)
* Butterbeans & Susie
* Gus Cannon (1883-1979)
* Leroy Carr (1905-1935)
* Bo Carter (1893-1964)
* Sam Collins (1887-1949)
* Floyd Council (1911-1976)
* Ida Cox (1896-1967)
* Gary Davis (1896-1972)
* Sleepy John Estes (1904-1977)
* Blind Boy Fuller (1908-1941)
* Jesse Fuller (1896-1976)
* Billy Garland (1918-1960)
* Jazz Gillum (1904-1966)
* Shirley Griffith (1908-1974)
* Arvella Gray (1906-1980)
* Smokey Hogg (1914-1960)
* Lightnin' Hopkins (1912-1982)
* Son House (c. 1902-1988)
* Peg Leg Howell (1888-1966)
* Alberta Hunter (1895-1984)
* Mississippi John Hurt (c. 1893-1966)
* Jim Jackson (c. 1884-1937)
* Skip James (1902-1969)
* Blind Lemon Jefferson (1893-1929)
* Blind Willie Johnson (1897-1945)
* Lonnie Johnson (1894-1970)
* Robert Johnson (1911-1938)
* Tommy Johnson (1896-1956)
* Lead Belly(c. 1889-1949)
* Furry Lewis (1899-1981)
* Mance Lipscomb (1895-1976)
* Cripple Clarence Lofton (1887-1957)
* Robert Lockwood, Jr. (1915-2006)
* Mississippi Fred McDowell (1904-1972)
* Brownie McGhee (1915-1996)
* Blind Willie McTell (1901-1959)
* The Memphis Jug Band
* Big Maceo Merriweather (1905-1953)
* Memphis Minnie (1897-1973)
* Charlie Patton (1891-1934)
* Ma Rainey (1886-1939)
* Tampa Red (1904-1981)
* Bessie Smith (1894-1937)
* Victoria Spivey (1908-1976)
* Frank Stokes (c. 1888-1955)
* Sonny Terry (1911-1986)
* Henry Townsend (1909-2006)
* Sippie Wallace (1898-1986)
* Washboard Sam (1910-1966)
* Curley Weaver (1906-1962)
* Peetie Wheatstraw (1902-1941)
* Bukka White (1909-1977)
* Josh White (1914 or 1915-1969)
* Sonny Boy Williamson I (1914-1948)

Early Urban Blues

* Gladys Bentley (1907-1960)
* Lucille Bogan (1897-1948)
* Georgia Tom Dorsey (1899-1993)
* Lil Green (1919-1954)
* Lucille Hegamin (1894-1970)
* Alberta Hunter (1895-1984)
* Papa Charlie Jackson (c.1890-1938)
* Ma Rainey (1886-1939)
* Clara Smith (c. 1894-1935)
* Mamie Smith (1883-1946)
* Bessie Smith (1894-1937)
* Sippie Wallace (1898-1986)
* Ethel Waters (1896-1977)

Pre-World War II jazz blues

* Albert Ammons (1907-1949)
* Pink Anderson (1900-1974)
* Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
* Sidney Bechet (1897-1959)
* Leroy Carr (1905-1935)
* Pee Wee Crayton (1914-1985)
* Floyd Council (1911-1976)
* Walter Davis (1912-1963)
* Johnny Dodds (1892-1940)
* Champion Jack Dupree (c. 1909-1992)
* Ivory Joe Hunter (1914-1974)
* St. Louis Jimmy Oden (1903-1977)
* Meade Lux Lewis (1905-1964)
* Little Brother Montgomery (c. 1906-1985)
* Big Maceo Merriweather (1905-1953)
* Kansas Joe McCoy (1905-1950)
* Papa Charlie McCoy (1909-1950)
* Jay McShann (born c. 1916)
* Roy Milton (1907-1983)
* Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941)
* Jimmy Rushing (1902-1972)
* Roosevelt Sykes (1906-1983)
* Big Joe Turner (1911-1985)
* Sam Taylor (born 1916)
* T-Bone Walker (1910-1975)
* Washboard Sam (1910-1966)

Postwar jazz blues

* Mose Allison (born 1927)
* Charles Brown (1922-1999)
* Roy Brown (1925-1981)
* Ray Charles (1930-2004)
* Pee Wee Crayton (1914-1985)
* Floyd Dixon (1929-2006)
* Champion Jack Dupree (c. 1909-1992)
* Wynonie Harris (1915-1969)
* Louis Jordan (1908-1975)
* Little Willie Littlefield (born 1931)
* Percy Mayfield (1920-1984)
* Memphis Slim (1915-1988)
* Amos Milburn (1927-1980)
* Pinetop Perkins (born 1913)
* Jimmy Witherspoon (1923-1997)

Kansas City blues

* Walter Brown (1917-1956)
* Jay McShann (c.1916-2006)
* Arnold Moore (1914-2005)
* Jimmy Rushing (c. 1902-1972)
* Big Joe Turner (1911-1985)

Later styles

* Little Hatch (1921-2003)
* Lee McBee (born 1951)

Chicago/Detroit Blues

* Luther Allison (1939-1997)
* Paul Butterfield (1942-1987)
* John Henry Barbee (1905-1964)
* Eddie Boyd (1914–1994)
* James Cotton (born 1935)
* Bo Diddley (born 1928)
* Willie Dixon (1915-1992)
* David Honeyboy Edwards (born 1915)
* Buddy Guy (born 1936)
* Earl Hooker (1929-1970)
* J.B. Hutto (1926-1983)
* Big Walter Horton (1918-1981)
* Elmore James (1918-1963)
* Albert King (1924-1992)
* Freddie King (1934-1976)
* John Lee Hooker (1917-2001)
* Charlie Musselwhite (born 1944)
* Robert Nighthawk (1909–1967)
* Pinetop Perkins (born 1913)
* Jimmy Reed (1925-1976)
* Soko Richardson (1939 - 2004)
* Jimmy Rogers (1924-1997)
* Otis Rush (born 1934)
* Magic Sam (1937-1970)
* Johnny Shines (1915-1992)
* Magic Slim (born 1937)
* Otis Spann (1930-1970)
* Hound Dog Taylor (1915-1975)
* Eddie Taylor (1923-1985)
* Little Walter (1930-1968)
* Muddy Waters (1915-1983)
* Carl Weathersby (born 1953)
* Junior Wells (1934-1998)
* Howlin' Wolf (1910-1976)
* Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller) (c. 1899-1965)
Modern blues (post 1950s)

* James Anthony (Pecchia) (born 1955)
* Etta Baker (1913-2006)
* Marcia Ball (born 1949)
* Elvin Bishop (born 1942)
* Bobby Blue Bland (born 1930)
* Rory Block (born 1949)
* Michael Bloomfield (1944-1981)
* Blues Brothers
* Lonnie Brooks (born 1933)
* Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (1924-2005)
* Roy Buchanan (1939-1988)
* Eric Clapton (born 1945)
* Albert Collins (1932-1993)
* Johnny Copeland (1937-1997)
* Al Copley (born 1952)
* Robert Cray (born 1953)
* Willie Dixon (1915-1992)
* Bob Dylan (Born 1941)
* Snooks Eaglin (born 1936)
* The Fabulous Thunderbirds
* Robben Ford (born 1951)
* Rory Gallagher (1948-1995)
* John Hammond (born 1942)
* Alvin Youngblood Hart [1](born 1963)
* Ted Hawkins (1936-1995)
* Z. Z. Hill (1935-1984)
* John Lee Hooker (1917-2001)
* Lightnin' Hopkins (1912-1982)
* Hot Tuna
* Colin James (born 1964)
* Etta James (born 1938)
* Jimmy Johnson (born 1928)
* B. B. King (born 1925)
* Freddie King (1934-1976)
* Taj Mahal (born 1942)
* John Mayall (born 1933)
* Keb' Mo' (born 1951)
* Sam Myers (born 1936)
* Odetta (born 1930)
* Rod Piazza (born 1947)
* Lonnie Pitchford (1955-1998)
* Fenton Robinson (1935-1997)
* Roomful of Blues
* Bobby Rush (born 1940)
* Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women
* Seasick Steve Dates Unknown Mid 20th Century to Present
* Magic Slim (born 1937)
* Son Seals (born 1942)
* Arbee Stidham (1917-1988)
* Koko Taylor (born 1935)
* Tabby Thomas (born 1929)
* Rufus Thomas (1917-2001)
* Ali Farka Toure (1939-2006)
* Jimmie Vaughan (born 1951)
* Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990)
* Kazumi Watanabe (born 1953)
* Johnny Winter (born 1944)

Blues since 1990

* Ana Popovic (born 1976)
* Gwyn Ashton
* Tab Benoit (born 1967)
* Deanna Bogart (born 1960)
* Joe Bonamassa (born 1977)
* Kenny Brown
* R. L. Burnside (1926-2005)
* Tommy Castro (born 1959)
* Claudia Carawan (born 1959)
* Joanna Connor (born 1962)
* Shemekia Copeland (born 1979)
* Guy Davis (born 1952)
* Darren Deicide
* Chris Duarte (born 1964)
* Ronnie Earl (born 1953)
* Tinsley Ellis (born 1957)
* Sue Foley (born 1968)
* Anson Funderburgh (born 1954)
* Anthony Gomes (born 1975)
* Alvin Youngblood Hart (born 1965)
* Jeff Healey (born 1966)
* Ron Holloway (born 1953)
* Colin James
* Gene Kelton
* Junior Kimbrough (1930-1998)
* Chris Thomas King (born 1964)
* Jonny Lang (born 1981)
* Harry Manx
* Keb Mo' (born 1951)
* Coco Montoya
* Kenny Neal (born 1957)
* North Mississippi All Stars
* Blind Mississippi Morris (born 1955)
* Charlie Parr
* Asie Payton (1937-1997)
* Kelly Joe Phelps
* Todd Sharpville (born 1970)
* Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born 1976)
* Bobby Sowell (born 1947)
* Susan Tedeschi (born 1970)
* Jimmy Thackery (born 1953)
* T-Model Ford (born 1924)
* Joe Louis Walker (born 1949)
* William Elliott Whitmore
* Bob Cobb (born 1965)

Blues in conventional pop music

* Harold Arlen, "Blues in the Night" and "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"
* Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, "I've Got It Bad and That Ain't Good"
* George Gershwin (1898-1937), "Porgy and Bess"
* John Mayer Trio, "Try!" 2005

Blues in country music

* Johnny Cash (1932-2003)
* Merle Haggard (1937)
* Jerry Lee Lewis (1937)
* Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933)
* Hank Williams (1923-1953)

Blues influence in classical music

* George Gershwin (1898-1937), "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Concerto in F"
* Honegger, "Pacific 231", the "train song" as concerto.
* William Grant Still, "Afro-American Symphony"

Blues in contemporary rock and pop music

* Bonnie Raitt
* G. Love & Special Sauce
* Moby (born 1965)
* The White Stripes
* Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
* The Black Keys
* Nick Cave (born 1957)
* Tom Waits (born 1949)
* Ben Harper (born 1969)
* Jon Spencer
* Los Lonely Boys
* Chris Thomas King (born 1962)

Blues from Europe

* Alexis Korner
* Ana Popovic
* Barrelhouse
* Cuby and the Blizzards
* Cyril Davies
* Elmore D
* Eric Clapton
* Todd Sharpville
* Hans Theessink
* Herman Brood
* John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
* Peter Green
* Steve Baker
* Yavuz Çetin

Blues from Latin America

* Nuno Mindelis
* Pappo

Record Label: Unsigned

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