Song:I Got Those Drunken Blues
Album:Rough and Rowdy Hillbilly of the 1930's Vol. 2
Bill Cox was a country music pioneer known as The Dixie Songbird. Back then he would have been called a hillbilly singer. He performed on the radio and recorded in the 30s. He was born Aug. 4, 1897 in Eagle, WV. He learned to play the harmonica and guitar as a child. He started performing on radio station WOBU in 1927. His show was daily but Cox had a drinking problem and sometimes he didn't show up. The station owner Walter Fredericks suggested that Cox record so that he would have music to play when Cox didn't show up. Most of Cox's recordings were for Champion Records in Richmond, IN. They were owned by The Starr Piano Co. Cox recorded for a couple of other labels after Champion closed in 1936. He started out covering Jimmy Rodgers songs. But then he started writing his own songs some of which were political in nature. Among his better known songs are Sparkling Brown Eyes and Filipino Baby. I Got Those Drunken Blues was recorded in 1931. You can get that and most of Cox's recordings on this comp from the Dutch label Collector Records. And that includes duets Cox recorded with Cliff Hobbs. After Champion closed, Cox recorded briefly for Decca. Apparently his drinking got worse and Cox slipped into poverty until he was found living in a shack in Charleston in 1965. He got to perform and record until he died on Dec. 10, 1968 at age 71. Here's a video of I Got Those Drunken Blues by Bill Cox.
No comments:
Post a Comment