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Skip James

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Vocalist

The Resume

    (June 9, 1902-October 3, 1969)
    Born in Bentonia, Mississippi
    Birth name was Nehemiah Curtis James
    Blues guitarist, pianist and singer
    Recorded the albums 'Greatest of the Delta Blues Singers' (1964), 'Skip James Today!' (1966) and 'Devil Got My Woman' (1969)
    Songs include 'Hard Time Killing Floor Blues,' '22-20 Blues,' 'Devil Got My Woman,' 'I'm So Glad' and 'D.C. Hospital Center Blues'
    Inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame (1992)

Why he might be annoying:

    At various times, he worked as a pimp and a bootlegger.
    He claimed to have shot a romantic rival.
    His nickname may have come from how often he had to skip town thanks to his illegal activities.
    He made one recording session in 1931; when the resulting singles failed to sell, he stopped performing blues for over three decades.
    One of the men who rediscovered him said, 'He had a mercurial personality... and when he drank, he could become vicious.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He influenced Robert Johnson, who turned James' songs '22-20 Blues' and 'Devil Got My Woman' into '32-20 Blues' and 'Hellhound on My Trail.'
    The near-simultaneous rediscovery of him and Son House was considered the start of the 60s blues revival.
    A club owner said, 'Just the words of some of Skip's songs send a shiver up your spine, and when he sang, it was guaranteed to.'
    He was poor most of his life, until Cream recorded 'I'm So Glad,' providing a late career windfall.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 21 Votes: 52.38% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 61.54% Annoying