Mississippi Fred McDowell

Born Fred McDowell in Rossville, Tennessee on January 12, 1904, the blues singer-songwriter and guitarist was better known by his stage name Mississippi Fred McDowell. A blues icon, he is acknowledged as the father of North Mississippi Hill Country blues. He began his musical journey when he started playing guitar at 14, using a slide made from a beef rib bone. He would later switch to using a glass slide. Mississippi Fred McDowell worked on a farm and did other odd jobs while performing for decades at local gatherings and parties in Como, Mississippi. Discovered by folklorist / ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax in 1959, he was captured on field recordings by Lomax and Shirley Collins, which brought attention to his unique style and helped to launch his career. Mississippi Fred McDowell released a series of albums just as the blues craze spread across the US and UK including Mississippi Delta Blues (1964), My Home Is In the Delta (1965), Vol. 2 (1966), Cotton Country Blues (1967), Long Way From Home (1967), I Do Not Play No Rock ‘n’ Roll (1969), and more. He also collaborated with other blues artists including Furry Lewis, Johnny Woods, and The Hunter’s Chapel Singers. Mississippi Fred McDowell’s songs have been covered by several rock and blues artists including The Rolling Stones. On July 3, 1972, Mississippi Fred McDowell died of cancer in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 68. His music continues to influence generations of blues musicians, and he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1991.

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