Bukka White

Booker T. Washington White, known as Bukka White, was a powerful Delta blues guitarist and singer whose 1940 recordings for Vocalion rank among the most intense and original in the pre-war canon. A cousin of B.B. King, he first recorded for Victor in 1930, then served time at Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) for assault, where he was recorded by John and Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. His 1940 sessions produced masterpieces including 'Fixin' to Die Blues,' 'Parchman Farm Blues,' 'District Attorney Blues,' and 'Shake 'Em on Down,' all characterized by his percussive slide guitar in open tuning and his anguished, hollering vocals. Like many pre-war artists, he was rediscovered in the 1960s (in his case by Bob Dylan, who wrote him a letter that was forwarded to his Memphis address) and he recorded and performed at festivals throughout the revival era.