Sleepy John Estes

John Adam Estes, known as Sleepy John Estes, was a Tennessee blues singer and guitarist whose crying, nasal vocal style was among the most immediately recognizable in the blues. Recording for Victor, Decca, and Bluebird from 1929 through 1941, he documented small-town African American life in Brownsville, Tennessee, with a journalistic specificity (naming names, describing local events and characters) that gives his recordings unusual historical value. His longtime musical partners, mandolinist Yank Rachell and harmonica player Hammie Nixon, formed one of the most distinctive combos in pre-war blues. Estes went blind and lived in extreme poverty in Brownsville until his rediscovery in 1962 by blues researchers, after which he recorded for Delmark and performed at festivals. His compositions 'Diving Duck Blues' and 'Drop Down Mama' have been widely covered.