I don’t think he was a very famous name outside of blues circles, but I just heard that guitarist and singer Honeyboy Edwards died early this morning. He was 95 years old. Honeyboy was one of the last living links to the old blues, maybe the last - he was a friend of Robert Johnson’s and he was with Johnson when he died. I was lucky enough to see Honeyboy perform once myself. It must’ve been Valentine’s Day 2005, so he would’ve been almost 90. It was at the Chicago Public Library, and I remember him doing some of my favorite songs, like “Catfish Blues” and “Going Down Slow.” He played very rough, aggressive slide guitar, and when he played it was as if he and his guitar merged into of a single organism. I’ve seen some great guitar players but I’ve never seen anything quite like that. It was more like watching the elements, some kind of force of nature like a rock slide. He was a professional musician for about 80 years.
Damn.
Well, darn.
I’ve read his biography, The World Don’t Owe Me Nothing. It’s a very good read. He made no excuses and he offered no apologies, as I remember the book. I got introduced to him on the Last Of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesman CD. On that one, he was well into his 80s and still making fine music. I went looking for more, based on that CD, and I was not disappointed.
I guess I will just dial up his tunes on the ipod and enjoy them while I work.
RIP, Mr. Edwards, and thanks for the music.
That sucks. I mean, he was probably ready to die, what with having the blues for 70+ years, but still.
I gotta put on some of my Honeyboy Edwards tonight. I haven’t listened to him in a while.
Another man done a full go round.
(A tribute to the old blues men by Roy Book Binder, whom I saw last Saturday night; he ended his set with this song.)