GHI of blues. The genre’s kick-starters
The ‘G, H, I’ index to AMERICA’S Gift: THE UNTOLD STORY OF HOW BLUES EVOLVED.
 |
| James Hewlett started the blues ball rolling |
Believe it or not, a Trinidadian actor performing Shakespeare’s Hamlet in New York in 1822, one James Hewlett, is known to have bowed to audience pressure and interrupted his soliloquy to sing a popular American slave song of the day, ‘Possum Up A Gum Stump’.
An English comedian in the audience thought this rather excellent
entertainment, blacked-up and started singing ‘Possum Up A Gum Stump’
during his own U.S. tour. And, in a nutshell, that’s how the phenomena of
white men pretending to be African-American slaves began.
Check out some of the other high-faluting names associated with the
evolution of blues in the pictures below. You’ll find them all in AMERICA’S
Gift, the BIG F-A-T coffee table blues book OUT NOW.
You can see the full AMERICA’s Gift index when you preview the book on
the Amazon link below.
The renowned 18th century English portrait and landscape painter Thomas
Gainsborough below isn’t actually in the book but his portrait of David
Garrick is. Garrick was the first person known to use the word ‘blues’ as a
description for feeling low.
 |
| Thomas Gainsborough painted the portrait of David Garrick below |
Gabler, Mort: 343.
Gaiety Theater, Broadway, New York: 241.
Gainsborough, Thomas: 12.
Galileo: 277.
Gale’s Contemporary Black Biography: 145.
Galloway, George ‘Charlie’: 133-134, 142, 144, 149-150, 153-155.
Galveston, Texas: 104, 194, 197.
Garon: Paul: 336-337.:
Garrick, David: 11-12, 27.
Genesis (band): 167.
Gennett Records: 217, 250, 270, 272, 299.
Gennett studio: 270.
George Barnes Octet: 342.
George Barnes Quartet: 340.
Georgia: 106, 115, 138, 165, 172, 183, 194, 215, 223, 227-228, 236, 244, 246, 259.
Georgia Grinder: 309.
Georgia Minstrels: 106.
Georgia on my Mind: 259.
 |
| David Garrick as painted by Gainsborough |
Georgia Swing: 320.
Georgia Tom: 266, 299, 309, 311, 352.
Georgian: 12.
Genesis (band): 167.
German/Germany: 17, 68-69, 73, 92, 107, 189, 215, 248, 278, 312, 351.
Gerard, Jim: 294.
Gershwin, George: 151, 206.
Ghana: 20.
Gillum, Jazz: 341.
Gilmore, Patrick: 92, 186.
Give Me That Old Time Religion: 239.
Glenn Miller Orchestra: 199, 294, 348-349.
Going’ Down the River ‘Fore Long: 138.
Golden Gloves (boxing championship): 312, 356.
Goodloe and Goodloe: 195.
Got To Have My Daddy Blues: 216.
Goethe, Johann von: 278.
Going’ Down That Long Lonesome Road: 138.
Going Up The Country: 248.
Go Lightening: 144.
Gone With The Wind: 233.
Goodman, Benny: 274-275, 293-294, 347-348.
 |
| Which Gone With The Wind star was a blues star? It’s in the book. |
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl: 318.
Good Morning Schoolgirl: 318
Goodnight Irene: 170.
Goodnight Ladies: 81.
Good Rockin’ Tonight: Wynonie Harris.
Got a Break, Baby: 351.
Got The Blues: 265.
Gould, Dave’s Guitar Pages: 339.
Gould, Napoleon: 91.
Graham, Sarah M: 13.
Grand Old Opry: 342.
Grant: President Ulysses S: 71.
Grappelli, Stéphane: 259.
Grateful Dead: 171, 282, 318.
Graveyard Dream Blues: 228.
Graupner, Johann: 30.
Grebo people: 97.
Greek: 219, 348.
Green, Ruth: 239.
Greenus, Helen Louise: 235.
 |
| Seattle’s Helen Greenus co-recorded Palakiko Blues in 1917 |
Greenwood, Mississippi: 282.
Grey Gull (record label): 327.
Grinder Man Blues: 313.
Guardian newspaper (UK): 76, 358, 326.
Guiffre, Joe: 160.
Guitar Blues: 231, 235, 244.
Guitar Rag: 231, 235-236, 244.
Guitar Player magazine: 235, 288, 292, 294.
Guitar Players, The: 330, 333.
Gulledge, Ola Lee: 137.
Gumbo Chaff: 73.
Gunnal, Lingren: 20.
Guy, Buddy: 260, 318, 332, 336.
Habanera: 159, 202.
Haffer, Charles: 136-137.
Hairy Man Blues: 251.
Haitian: 279.
Hallam, Lewis the Younger: 29.
Hallé, LadyWilma (Neruda): 87-88.
Ham, Pete: 283.
Hamilton, George: 309.
Hamlet: 39.
Hampton, Lionel: 349.
Hampton, Pete: 248-249.
Hardie, Daniel: 133, 144.
 |
| WW1’s Harlem Hellfighters led by band leader James Reece Europe |
Harlem, New York: 211, 213, 219, 225, 227, 294, 297, 316, 351-352, 353.
Harlem Hit Parade: 316, 350-352.
Harlem Hellfighters: 202.
Harlem Hit Parade: 316, 351-352, 353.
Harlem Renaissance: 225.
Harney, Ben: 119-125, 127, 129-130, 153-154, 168, 171.
Harold, Ellen: 357, 361.
Harper, Johnny: 351.
Harrington, George: 78.
Harris, Ace: 364.
Harris, Charles K: 110-111.
Harris, Erlene: 356, 366.
Harris, Homer: 304.
Harris, Marion: 207, 302.
Harris, Wynonie, 266.
Harrison, George: 66, 171, 303.
 |
| Father of the Blues, WC Handy’s in the book a great deal, of course |
Handy, W. C: 137-138, 140, 142, 179, 180-182, 185-187, 189, 190, 198-199, 201-202, 207, 219, 227, 231, 240, 263, 265, 272, 308, 313, 315, 319-320, 324, 328, 347.
Harvey, Les: 282.
Harvey, Morton: 205-206, 217, 239.
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine: 96-97.
Hawaii/Hawaiians: 21, 127, 135, 171, 180, 210, 235-236, 285, 290.
Hawaiian guitar/guitarists: 127, 135, 180, 235.
Hawkins, Coleman: 242.
Hawkins, Micah: 32.
Haydn, Joseph: 118.
Hayley, Bill and his Comets: 363.
Hazelhurst, Mississippi: 277, 281.
Hazzard, Isaac: 47.
Hear Me Talkin’ To Ya’: 240.
Hegamin, Billy: 227.
Hegamin, Lucille: 215, 227.
Hello 1919 (stage show): 225.
Heinemann, Otto K. E: 215, 227.
Hemmenway, James: 47.
Henderson, Fletcher: 219, 221, 225-226, 274-275, 347.
Henderson, Kentucky: 320.
Henderson, Leora: 274.
Henschel, Lady Lillian Bailey: 88-89.
 |
| US soprano Lady Henschel loved London minstrel shows in 1890s |
Hendrix, Jimi: 164, 282, 313, 333, 351.
Henry V (play): 79.
Hernandez, A.M: 91.
He’s A Jelly Roll Baker: 334.
Hesitation Blues: 207.
Hewlett, James: 35-37, 39, 43-44, 61.
Hickman, Art: 322.
Hicks Sawyer Minstrels: 109.
Hillier, Catherine Comerford: 31.
Hines, Earl: 294.
Historical Society of Pennsylvania: 47.
Hitler, Adolf: 352.
Hittin’ the Bottle: 286-292.
Hoffman, Frank: 354.
Hoffman, Robert: 191.
Hogan, Ernest: 108, 130.
Hokum Blues: 251, 266, 311, 315, 352.
Hokum Boys: 266, 299, 311, 317.
Hokum Jug Band: 317.
Holiday, Billie: 260, 294.
Holly, Buddy: 343.
Homesickness Blues: 206.
Honolulu: 135.
Honky tonk: 104, 117, 344.
 |
| Johann Graupner wrote the first-known slave-inspired song to be heard in public. This was performed by his wife in Boston, 1799 |
Hooker, John Lee: 336, 359.
Hootchie kootchie dance: 61-62.
Hoochie Coochie Man: 61.
Hopkins, Lightning: 136.
Horn, Eph: 78.
Hot Five (Louis Armstrong’s): 257, 330.
Hotter Than That: 257.
Houston: 104, 321,355-356, 366.
Howlin’ Wolf: 165, 270, 318, 333, 336, 363.
How to Write a Popular Song: 110.
How Ya Gonna Keep ‘em Down on the Farm
(Now That They’ve Seen Paree): 206.
Hughes, Helen: 260.
Hughes, Revella: 220.
Hugill, Stan: 96.
Humes, Helen: 260-261.
Hunter, Alberta: 227-228, 271, 297.
Hurrican Brassband website: 254.
Hurt, Mississippi John: 269.
Hutchinson, Frank: 144.
Idle Hours: 336.
I Feel Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy: 304.
If That’s What You Want, Here It Is: 216.
If You Can’t Get Five Take Two: 291.
I Got The Blues: 190-191.
I Had Leff Alabama: 164.
I Have Got The Blues Today: 13.
 |
| The first published song to have the blues in the title. From 1850 and more details, of course, in the book |
Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm: 363.
I’ll Believe I’ll Dust My Broom: 96, 275, 281.
Illinois: 122, 193, 206, 297-298, 320.
I’m Alabama Bound: 163-164, 191.
I’m Busy and You Can’t Come In: 252.
In Dahomy (Broadway production): 112.
Indiana: 207, 270.
Indianapolis: 309.
Indianapolis Freeman: 175-176, 186, 193-194.
In Love Again: 334.
Inner Circle: 283.
Iowa: 50,349.
Ireland/Irish: 26, 28, 30, 46, 49, 57, 68, 74, 87, 92, 102, 107-108, 145, 153, 186.
I Remember Jazz: Six Decades Among the Great Jazzmen: 244.
Irwin, May: 127-128, 130, 153.
Isaac, Allen: 95.
Isn’t It Hard To Love (tune): 321.
Italian/Italy: 53, 56, 65, 71, 77, 83, 92, 107, 111, 153, 191, 258-259,
280.
280.
Italian Opera, London: 77.
I Thought I heard Buddy Bolden Say: 157.
It’s Right Here For You (If You Don’t Get ‘Taint No Fault Of Mine): 212.
It’s Tight Like That: 266, 311.
I’ve Got De Blues: 191.
Indianapolis: 309.
Indianapolis Freeman: 175-176, 193-194.
Ivory Coast: 20, 97.
