Topic: Buddy Moss - prison photo & bio

[Stumblin]

Thanks Bunker Hill. Now noticed outfidel already posted the photo 3 years ago. Well than for the ones who missed it first time around can look at this piece of history.

I guess I'm in that category.
Thanks, BH. The minor details in that photo also command close scrutiny. A wonderful document.

[LD50]

Go to http://www.wirz.de/music/mossfrm.htm and scroll to bottom.

The other first used in 1968 on Yazoo LP cover.

Click on the tag below and you will find a list of Moss discussions one of which concerns these photos.

Which tag?

The goofy thing is that the Yazoo LP that had that picture on the cover didn't even have any Buddy Moss tracks on it.

[Bunker Hill]

Which tag?

At the bottom here where it says Tags and the name Buddy Moss (just above the words Page [1] Go Up). Or are we speaking at cross purposes?

[LD50]

Which tag?

At the bottom here where it says Tags and the name Buddy Moss (just above the words Page [1] Go Up). Or are we speaking at cross purposes?

Oh okay, I thought you meant at the bottom of Stefan's Buddy Moss page. Thanks!

How did people first figure out that that was a picture of Moss, I wonder?

[oddenda]

A.) I looked at it a long time. Said, "Yup, that's him!"
B.) Showed the Yazoo LP jacket to folks around Atlanta who knew Buddy - got an 80%+ "yes" to that.
C.) Jack Delano, the photographer, was shooting at that very prison where Buddy was for killing his girl friend (she might have been cheating on him). An LofC photo.
D.) I did NOT show it to Buddy, for obvious reasons! (see C.)

Buddy was his own worst enemy - I tried for a number of years to record him, but to no avail. Some of the story is in my "Oddenda & Such" columns in BLUES & RHYTHM (UK) of fairly recent memory! He was THAT good, though, that I kept trying until I stopped going South.

Peter B.

[LB]

Which tag?

At the bottom here where it says Tags and the name Buddy Moss (just above the words Page [1] Go Up). Or are we speaking at cross purposes?

Oh okay, I thought you meant at the bottom of Stefan's Buddy Moss page. Thanks!

How did people first figure out that that was a picture of Moss, I wonder?

The only one anybody ever needed to ask was Cora Mae. She grew up around Moss, Weaver, McTell and knew everything. I can say one thing. There are more than a couple of sides to all these stories and honestly after hearing their side for years I see some true reasoning why Moss was so mean. He wasn't mean to everyone but he had zero tolerance for BS and Cora always seemed to cut down to the truth no matter how that truth rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. I'd love to see all of her family photos returned to her children and grands. Some of the only photos they had were given to blues book authors and never given back. I've personally witnessed interviews, photos, audio recordings being made and released without their authorization, put on box sets, websites. Peter, I can totally understand why so many of these blues artists and families were their own worst enemies. Being nice sure hadn't worked... 

[oddenda]

Brother -

You weren't there ... I was. Buddy was the same with most everyone, Black or White. He was one suspicious, nasty dude. Hell, he killed his girlfriend on a "maybe"! I'm sure that Cora Mae was one of the ones I showed the LP jacket to - I do know I showed it to Roy Dunn, and Frank Edwards, a.o. No excuses allowed.

Peter B.

[LD50]

Did the folks at Yazoo know that was Moss?

[LB]

Brother -

You weren't there ... I was. Buddy was the same with most everyone, Black or White. He was one suspicious, nasty dude. Hell, he killed his girlfriend on a "maybe"! I'm sure that Cora Mae was one of the ones I showed the LP jacket to - I do know I showed it to Roy Dunn, and Frank Edwards, a.o. No excuses allowed.

Peter B.

No offense meant in my post. I've spent way more time here in this area playing, listening to all these people and their families. I'm not just coming from left field, that's for sure. And I know Moss was really a hard cookie by the time you came around. I also know who you are and even what you looked like, things you did when you dealt with Cora. In fact I'd love to hear your side on a couple of important points.

[LD50]

May I ask why Buddy Moss killed his girlfriend, or would people here rather not talk about that?

[Johnm]

You can ask, but do you actually imagine anyone here knows the answer?  Good guess--he was pissed off.

[jopoke]

That would be a good question for any married couple....

Joe

[LD50]

You can ask, but do you actually imagine anyone here knows the answer?  Good guess--he was pissed off.

I assume so, but I figgered there was a not-too-bad chance either he or Cora Mae had told the story to someone (e.g., Pete) before they died.

This is the first place where I've heard why Moss landed in prison at all. IIRC, Bastin didn't give the reason in Red River Blues.

[LB]

Just wanted to straighten out a couple comments I made. I didn't mean to cast doubts about any particular blues authors based on one-sided accounts I've heard. I thankful people did profoundly good work documenting the blues. The topics sometimes lead me away from the most important thing which was the music. I'm thankful for anything I can learn about blues but at times it's easy to get caught up in quicksand before you catch yourself, thanks for the opportunity to discuss and learn. 

[oddenda]

1.) I do not think that Yazoo had any idea that the photo was Moss... he's not on that LP, by the way.

2.) Roger Brown has seen the arrest records and Moss killed his girl friend thinking she was cheating on him... on a "maybe".

3.) Bastin was circumspect after our experience earlier with Buddy and his pistol.

4.) Brother - ask away, either here or pm.

Peter B.