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Mississippi John Hurt

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"Mississippi" John Hurt
(March 8, 1892 - November 2, 1966)

John was always a benevolent artist, who was seemingly more interested in living his life than pursuing fame and credence as a musician. According to Mississippi John, he learned guitar before his tenth birthday! He would "borrow" his mentor's guitar at nights after he fell asleep to practice it. In the twenties, John traveled all the way to New York City (a feat that would have been quite challenging at the time!) to make a number of recordings for OKeh Records. The recordings reportedly sold marginally well and afterwards, he returned to his home in Avalon, Mississippi, where he spent most of his years content to work normally and play for nothing more than entertainment for family, friends and neighbors. Little did he know that several decades after his original recordings, he was quickly becoming a musical hero to an entirely new, much larger generation of fans.

The folk revival movement of the 1960s brought much of the Mississippi Delta's music back to front and center stage, unbeknownst to it's musicians, a number of whom who were still living. Most had enjoyed their heyday around thirty years prior, and had gone on to live otherwise normal lives. It wasn't until people began to seek out the aging musicians that they became aware of their large following. like many original delta musicians, Mississippi John Hurt was sought out, found, and began to play again. He was, understandably, reportedly stunned to find out that his recordings from the 20s were not only still around, but they were being enjoyed by the huge numbers of fans involved in the folk movement.

People saw him as one of the greatest heros of the newfound Folk enthusiasm, and rightfully so. He had been playing true, timeless folk style since years before Bob Dylan was even born. John enjoyed a newfound, well deserved musical career, touring and playing various venues to audiences he would have never dreamed of when he made his first recordings in the 1920s. He continued to sing, play, tour, and record in the 1960s until his passing from a heart attack in his native Mississippi in 1966.

Mississippi John had a unique style of playing, contrary to his musical counterparts. Where a rough, gritty style of Delta Blues ruled the land, John played his own beat; a more rounded, uplifting version of sweet Southern music. He could best have been described as a songster, who played many different genres of music such as Ragtime, Gospel, and Blues. His music was rather timid, and had a Blues style closer to the Piedmont than to traditional Delta. The result is a unique acoustic experience as only John himself could create. He's often been described as a folk hero, and his timeless recordings are adored by enthusiasts in several genres, including Blues and folk.

Notable songs by Mississippi John Hurt
Stagolee
First Shot Missed Him
Corinna, Corinna
Funky Butt
Salty Dog

Notable websites on Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt News - Run by the Late John Hurt's nephew
Mississippi John Hurt Museum in Avalon, Mississippi