Moses "Whispering" Smith
| Moses "Whispering" Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 25, 1932 Union Church, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Swamp blues Louisiana blues[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Harmonicist, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Harmonica, vocals |
| Labels | Excello |
Moses "Whispering" Smith (January 25, 1932 – April 28, 1984)[2] was an American blues harmonicist and singer.[2] He recorded tracks including "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" and "Texas Flood", and worked with both Lightnin' Slim and Silas Hogan. He was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame.[2]
Contents
Biography
Smith was born in Union Church, Mississippi.[2]
In the 1960s, Smith's harmonica playing accompanied recordings by swamp blues notables Lightnin' Slim and Silas Hogan,[3] before he was able to record some tracks of his own making. At this time he worked alongside the Crowley, Louisiana based record producer, J. D. "Jay" Miller, and his output was released by Excello Records. His singles included "Mean Woman Blues", "I Tried So Hard", and "Don't Leave Me", plus the instrumental tracks "Live Jive" and "Hound Dog Twist".[1]
Although he was a powerful singer, and a straight but unsophisicated harmonica player,[3] his potential was diminished by his appearance towards the end of the swamp blues period. He recorded his final album for Excello, Over Easy, in 1971.[4]
Whispering Smith died in April 1984 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the age of 52.[2]
Discography
Singles
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | "Mean Woman Blues" | Excello Records |
Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Over Easy | Blue Horizon |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Label | Song by Smith |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Louisiana Blues | Arhoolie Records | "On the Dark Road Crying" |
| 1989 | Louisiana Swamp Blues | Flyright Records | "Baby Left Me This Morning" |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Richie Unterberger, "Louisiana Blues", in V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, eds, All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues (Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Backbeat Books, 3rd edn., 2003), ISBN 0-87930-736-6
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