Peetie Wheatstraw

William Bunch, who performed as Peetie Wheatstraw ('The Devil's Son-in-Law' and 'The High Sheriff from Hell'), was one of the most prolific and popular blues recording artists of the 1930s. Based in East St. Louis, he recorded approximately 160 sides for Decca and Vocalion between 1930 and 1941, more than almost any other pre-war blues artist. His relaxed, conversational vocal style, sardonic humor, and piano-and-guitar accompaniment established a template for urban blues that influenced Champion Jack Dupree, Leroy Carr, and the broader St. Louis blues sound. His colorful devil persona made him one of the first blues artists to cultivate a deliberate stage image. He was killed in an automobile accident on his 39th birthday.