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Furry Lewis

Furry Lewis

Furry Lewis has been played on NTS over 10 times, featured on 13 episodes and was first played on 22 September 2013.

Furry Lewis (March 6, 1899 - September 14, 1981) was a blues guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was one of the first of the old-time blues musicians of the 1920s to be brought out of retirement by the folk blues revival of the 1960s.

Furry's style of blues was in many ways typical of the songsters who operated in and around Memphis in the 1920s, for whom the value of a song was the story it told, and who tended to back their words with hypnotic repetitive riffs and subtle slide guitars. Furry Lewis's soft voice and quick slide work were particularly effective in this style. He recorded many successful records in the late '20s including "Kassie Jones",Billy Lyons, Stack-O-Lee and Judge Harsh Blues (later called Good morning judge).

This success was limited to the race records of the time, cheap sides by black musicians for black customers. Furry received neither fame nor fortune for his efforts. In 1962, however, he was recorded by the folklorist Adrian Mitchell and his fortunes began to pick up. Before he died in 1981 Furry opened twice for the Rolling Stones, played on Johnny Carson's Tonight show and had a part in a Burt Reynolds movie, some justice for this great player of the blues and his inimitable slide guitar style.

Joni Mitchell's song, "Furry Sings the Blues" (on her Hejira album), is about Lewis. According to Wikipedia, Lewis despised the Mitchell song and demanded she pay him royalties.

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Furry Lewis

Furry Lewis has been played on NTS over 10 times, featured on 13 episodes and was first played on 22 September 2013.

Furry Lewis (March 6, 1899 - September 14, 1981) was a blues guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was one of the first of the old-time blues musicians of the 1920s to be brought out of retirement by the folk blues revival of the 1960s.

Furry's style of blues was in many ways typical of the songsters who operated in and around Memphis in the 1920s, for whom the value of a song was the story it told, and who tended to back their words with hypnotic repetitive riffs and subtle slide guitars. Furry Lewis's soft voice and quick slide work were particularly effective in this style. He recorded many successful records in the late '20s including "Kassie Jones",Billy Lyons, Stack-O-Lee and Judge Harsh Blues (later called Good morning judge).

This success was limited to the race records of the time, cheap sides by black musicians for black customers. Furry received neither fame nor fortune for his efforts. In 1962, however, he was recorded by the folklorist Adrian Mitchell and his fortunes began to pick up. Before he died in 1981 Furry opened twice for the Rolling Stones, played on Johnny Carson's Tonight show and had a part in a Burt Reynolds movie, some justice for this great player of the blues and his inimitable slide guitar style.

Joni Mitchell's song, "Furry Sings the Blues" (on her Hejira album), is about Lewis. According to Wikipedia, Lewis despised the Mitchell song and demanded she pay him royalties.

Original source: Last.fm

Tracks featured on

Most played tracks

Big Chief Blues
Furry Lewis
Blue Horizon1969
Shake 'Em On Down
Furry Lewis
Fantasy1972
Good Morning Judge
Furry Lewis
Fat Possum Records2003
Casey Jones
W. Furry Lewis
Barclay1971
Roberta
Furry Lewis
Prestige Bluesville1961
Judge Harsh Blues (Alternate Take)
Furry Lewis
Yazoo1975
White Lightnin'
Furry Lewis
Prestige Bluesville1961
Furry's Blues
Furry Lewis
Blue Horizon1969
I Will Turn Your Money Green
Furry Lewis
Folkways Records1959
Roll And Tumble Blues
Furry Lewis
Fat Possum Records2003