Ramblin 'Thomas

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Willard "Ramblin '" Thomas (* 1902 in Logansport , De Soto Parish , Louisiana , † 1945 in Memphis , Tennessee ) was an American country blues musician (vocals, guitar) and songwriter .

Live and act

Willard Thomas came from a family with nine children; his father played the fiddle and the three brothers Joe L., Jesse and Willard learned the guitar, with Willard practicing slide guitar techniques. Thomas first played in Shreveport, Louisiana and Oklahoma, then from the late 1920s in the Deep Ellum entertainment district in Dallas; his guitar playing was influenced by Blind Lemon Jefferson , Lonnie Johnson and Blind Blake .

He kicked u. a. on his extensive tours in San Antonio , Oklahoma, probably also in St. Louis . Between 1928 and 1932 he recorded in Dallas and Chicago for Paramount Records (with Bernice Edwards and Sharlie English ) and Victor Records ("Ground Hog Blues"). He brought his experience as a traveler into "Ramblin 'Man" and "Ramblin' Blues" (1928):

Well I took this brownskin woman, from my best friend
And that rascal got lucky an 'stole her back again .
Unemployed African American, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana (1935). Photography by Ben Shahn.

In "No Job Blues" he dealt with the consequences of unemployment when he was imprisoned in Alabama on account of a law of the US Congress of 1887 for vagabonding :

I have been walking all day, and all of the night too.
'Cause my meal ticket woman have quit me, and I can't find no work to do.
I pickin 'up the newspaper, and I look-ed pickin' in the ads,
And the policeman came along, and he arrested me for vag.
(spoken) Now, boys, Yall ought to see me in my black and white suit, It won't do!
Asked the judge, Judge, what may be my fine?
He said: 'Get you apick and shavel, and get up down and mine.'
I'm a poor vag prisoner, working in the ice and snow,
I got to get me another meal ticket woman, so I won't have to work no more.

In "Hard Dallas Blues" Thomas described how unwelcome he felt in Dallas:

And Dallas is hard, I don't care how you work,
There will be somebody covering on your pay-day to collect.
Man don't never make Dallas your home,
When you look for your friends they will all be gone.

In the following years he lived in Houston and Fort Worth. Ramblin 'Thomas died in 1945 of complications from tuberculosis . Thomas is said to have influenced Robert Johnson and Black Ace .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b http://www.allmusic.com/album/1928-1932-mw0000616451
  2. ↑ Stephen Calt, Robert Crumb , David A. Jasen, Terry Zwigoff, Richard Nevins Abrams: Robert Crumb's heroes of blues, jazz, and country . 2006
  3. ^ A b Bob L. Eagle, Eric S. LeBlanc: Blues: A Regional Experience . 2013, p. 303.
  4. ↑ Ramblin 'Thomas Discography
  5. ^ Blues & Gospel - Sonny Terry -> Ramblin 'Thomas
  6. ↑ Stephen Calt: I'd Rather Be the Devil: Skip James and the Blues . 2008, p. 212.
  7. ^ Guido van Rijn: Roosevelt's Blues: African-American Blues and Gospel Artists on President Roosevelt. 1995. page 13
  8. ^ Paul Oliver : Blues Fell This Morning: Meaning in the Blues . 1990, page 165.
  9. ↑ Interview with Jesse thomas. In: Blues Before Sunrise: The Radio Interviews . 201, page 21.
personal data
SURNAME Thomas, Ramblin '
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Thomas, Willard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American country blues musician (vocals, guitar) and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH Logansport , De Soto Parish , Louisiana
DATE OF DEATH 1945
Place of death Memphis , Tennessee