Hi all, In working through the various songs recorded by Walter Vinson under his own name, or Leroy Carter, or "Sam Hill from Louisville", or Walter Jacobs it struck me that we've never had a thread in which we listed blues musicians who recorded under more than one name, and then listing those names. I thought it might be kind of fun to do such a thread. I'll consider that I've started the ball rolling. If we confine ourselves to one musician and his/her recording monickers per post, more folks will be able to participate. Any takers? All best, Johnm
Blind Willie McTell recorded under his own name and as Blind Sammie for Columbia,Georgia Bill for Okeh,Hot Shot Willie for Victor,Blind Willie for Vocalion and Bluebird,Barrelhouse Sammie for Atlantic and Pig & Whistle Red for Regal.
"Joe McCoy" "This artist never recorded under his own name, using instead the pseudonyms Kansas Joe, Big Joe, Hallelujah Joe, Mud Dauber Joe, Georgia Pine Boy, and Mississippi Mudder at various times. He also recorded many vocals with the Harlem Hamfats under the name Hamfoot Ham." ... "Though Memphis Minnie did have a brother-in-law named Joe Johnson, both aural evidence and the Victor files support that Victor and Bluebird sides credited to (Minnie) McCoy and (Joe) Johnson are in fact by Memphis. Minnie and Kansas Joe (McCoy). ... There is a strong possibility that the name Bill Wilber was also used as a pseudonym for Joe McCoy but this is not definite ... . Joe McCoy's real name is believed to be Wilber McCoy. It is also possible that Joe Williams on Vocalion 1457 is a pseudonym for Joe McCoy."
Wax
« Last Edit: January 06, 2021, 11:05:15 AM by Johnm »
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"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." George Bernard Shaw
“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.” Joseph Heller, Catch-22
Didn't Charlie Patton also record for Paramount as The Masked Marvel?
Indeed he did. But this was probably a marketing scheme by Paramount Records. How much, if at all, Charlie Patton had a say to this or agreed to it at all, we'll never know.
Which brings us to an interesting (?) side note: which artists recorded with various pseudonyms on their own will, and which artists were labelled as someone else by the record companies? I remember reading that Brownie McGhee was labeled as "Blind Boy Fuller II" on some of his early recordings, and that he reportedly resented this.
On the other hand, some (later?) musicians like John Lee Hooker recorded with multiple pseudonyms for various small record companies to avoid breaching recording deals trying to "own" the artist.
This is again a very interesting thread, thanks Johnm, and might prove to be a great resource to us all.
Interestingly enough, Big Bill Broonzy never had a record released under his full name before WWII. He was always just Big Bill. except:
Sammy Sampson for the dime store labels Perfect, Oriole, and Romeo Big Bill Johnson for Gennett and Champion Big Bill Broomsley for a 2 song session for Paramount
After the war, he was generally listed as Big Bill Broonzy, except for
A session for Hub in 1945 where he was Little Sam (a reference to Sammy Sampson?) Big Bill for Columbia sessions from 1945 - 1947
On the other hand, some (later?) musicians like John Lee Hooker recorded with multiple pseudonyms for various small record companies to avoid breaching recording deals trying to "own" the artist.
I think Buddy Guy recorded for Delmark once as "Friendly Chap" when he was already signed to Chess Records.