Ramblin' Thomas Explained

Ramblin' Thomas
Birth Name:Willard Thomas
Birth Date:1901 or 1902
Birth Place:Logansport, Louisiana, United States
Death Date:1944 or 1945 (aged 41–44)
Death Place:Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Label:Paramount, Victor

Willard "Ramblin'" Thomas (1901 or 1902 – 1944 or 1945)[1] [2] was an American country blues singer, guitarist and songwriter.[3] He is best remembered for his slide guitar playing and for several recordings he made in the late 1920s and early 1930s.[4] Blues scholars seem undecided if his nickname referred to his style of playing or to his itinerant nature.[5] He was the brother of the blues musician Jesse Thomas.

Biography

Thomas was born in Logansport, Louisiana, one of nine children in his family. His father played the fiddle, and Willard and his brothers Joe L. and Jesse learned to play the guitar, with Willard particularly practicing slide guitar techniques.

Thomas relocated to Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas, in the late 1920s and was influenced by the playing of Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Blake.[6] He performed in San Antonio, Oklahoma and possibly St. Louis, Missouri, in his subsequent travels. He recorded in Dallas and Chicago between 1928 and 1932, for Paramount Records and Victor Records.[7] [8] His playing is said to have influenced Black Ace and Robert Johnson.

Thomas reportedly died of tuberculosis in 1944 or 1945 in Memphis, Tennessee.[9]

Compilations of his work have been released on CD by various record companies, including Document Records, in addition to LPs previously issued by Heritage, Biograph, and Matchbox Records.

Discography

His known recorded songs are the following:

 
  • "So Lonesome"
  • "Hard to Rule Woman Blues"
  • "Lock and Key Blues"
  • "Sawmill Moan"
  • "No Baby Blues"
 
  • "Ramblin' Mind Blues"
  • "No Job Blues"
  • "Back Gnawing Blues"
  • "Jig Head Blues"
 
  • "Hard Dallas Blues" (take 2)
  • "Hard Dallas Blues" (take 4)
  • "Ramblin' Man"
  • "Poor Boy Blues"
  • "Good Time Blues"
 
  • "New Way of Living Blues"
  • "Ground Hog Blues"
  • "Shake It Gal"
  • "Ground Hog Blues No. 2"
  • "Little Old Mama Blues"

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chadbourne, Eugene . [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p32702/biography|pure_url=yes}} Ramblin' Thomas: Biography ]. Allmusic.com . January 30, 2010.
  2. Book: Eagle . Bob L. . Blues: A Regional Experience . LeBlanc . Eric S. . ABC-CLIO . 2013 . 9780313344244 . 303.
  3. Book: Du Noyer, Paul . The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music . Flame Tree Publishing . 2003 . 1-904041-96-5 . Fulham, London . 181.
  4. Book: Russell, Tony . The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray . Carlton Books . 1997 . 1-85868-255-X . Dubai . 110.
  5. Book: Evans, David . Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues . University of Illinois Press . 2008 . 978-0-252-03203-5 . Champaign . 195.
  6. Book: Eagle . Bob . Blues: A Regional Experience . LeBlanc . Eric S. . Praeger . 2013 . 978-0313344237 . Santa Barbara, California . 303.
  7. Web site: Ramblin' Thomas Discography . Wirz.de . 2014-01-28.
  8. Web site: August 15, 1952 . Blues & Gospel – Sonny Terry – Ramblin' Thomas . Rootsandrhythm.com . 2014-01-28.
  9. Book: . 1995 . . 0-85112-673-1 . . Second . 347.
  10. Web site: Chadbourne, Eugene . Ramblin' Thomas, Ramblin' Mind Blues: Chicago Blues, 1928: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards . AllMusic.com . 2014-01-28.
  11. Web site: Ramblin' Thomas, 1928–1932: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards . AllMusic.com . 2014-01-28.

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