Artist:Pink AndersonSong:Boll Weevil
Album:Classic Blues From Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Pinkney "Pink" Anderson is probably best known as Syd Barrett's inspiration for the name Pink Floyd. Anderson was yet another blues pioneer who recorded in the 20s and disappeared until the blues revival of the 60s. He was born Feb. 12, 1900 in Laurens, SC. He started out as an entertainer in Dr. Frank Kerr's Indian Remedy Company medicine show. Then he met Simeon "Blind Simmie" Dooley who taught Anderson to play guitar. The duo recorded four songs for Columbia Records in 1928 and continued to work for Dr. Kerr until he retired in 1945. Anderson joined a different medicine show and was recorded in 1950. He retired from the road due to health problems in 1957. He was again recorded by Folkways Records at his home in 1962 and three albums were released. Anderson was never able to benefit from the 60s folk boom because he was too ill to travel. Boll Weevil is from the 1963 album The Blues Of Pink Anderson. Unfortunately that CD is out of print but you can get Boll Weevil on this Smithsonian Folkways various artists comp that I would recommend to blues beginners anyway. Anderson suffered a stroke in the late 60s and died on Oct. 12, 1974 at age 74. Syd Barrett saw his name in the liner notes of a Blind Boy Fuller album and named Pink Floyd after Anderson and bluesman Floyd Council. Pink Anderson's son Little Pink Anderson is a bluesman in South Dakota. Here's a video for Boll Weevil by Pink Anderson.
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