Noah Lewis
Noah Lewis (born September 3, 1895 or 1890 in Henning , Tennessee , † February 7, 1961 in Ripley ) was one of the central musicians of the American youth band scene in the 1920s and 1930s . He was a virtuoso on the harmonica and has been credited with a number of well-known songs, including Viola Lee Blues (later recorded by the Grateful Dead ) and Going To Germany .
Life
After moving to Memphis , Lewis joined Gus Cannon and the Cannon's Jug Stompers , who made some successful recordings in the late 1920s, including Walk Right In , reinterpreted by the Rooftop Singers in 1963 . Cannon later said in an interview: “Noah was always full of cocaine; I suspect that's why he was able to play so loud. And it was really good. "
From 1929 Lewis made recordings under his own name and with his own band. He later played with Yank Rachell and John Estes, among others . With the Depression came the end of the youth band era, and Lewis too was forgotten. Lewis last lived in the poorest of circumstances. He died in 1961 of severe frostbite.
Web links
- Noah Lewis's Jug Band on discogs.com
Individual evidence
- ^ Noah Lewis at Allmusic (English). Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Noah Lewis Jug Volume 1930 at folkarchive.de, accessed on February 18, 2015.
- ^ Noah Lewis on allaboutbluesmusic.com, accessed February 18, 2015.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lewis, Noah |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 3, 1895 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Henning |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 7, 1961 |
| Place of death | Ripley |