# J.D. Short

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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = J. D. Short
| image             = 
| caption           = 
| image_size        = 
| birth_name        = 
| alias             = Jelly Jaw Short, Jaydee Short, and possibly others, including Spider Carter <ref name="Wirz"/>
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1902|12|26|mf=y}}
| birth_place       = [Port Gibson, Mississippi](/source/Port_Gibson%2C_Mississippi), United States
| death_date        = {{death date and age|1962|10|21|1902|12|26|mf=y}}
| death_place       = [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis), [Missouri](/source/Missouri), United States
| instrument        = Vocals, guitar, harmonica <ref name="AMG"/>
| genre             = [Delta blues](/source/Delta_blues), [country blues](/source/country_blues)
| occupation        = Singer, [harmonicist](/source/harmonicist), songwriter
| years_active      = Mid-1920s&ndash;1962
| label             = [Sonet](/source/Sonet_Records) (last of various labels)
}}

'''J. D. Short''' (December 26, 1902 – October 21, 1962)<ref name="bare">{{cite book| first1= Bob| last1= Eagle| first2= Eric S.| last2= LeBlanc| year= 2013| title= Blues: A Regional Experience| publisher= Praeger | location= Santa Barbara, California| page=217 | isbn= 978-0313344237}}</ref> was an American [Delta blues](/source/Delta_blues) singer, guitarist,<ref>Dixon, R. M. W.; Godrich, J.; Rye, H. W. (1997). ''Blues and Gospel Records 1890–1943''. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 794.</ref> and [harmonicist](/source/harmonicist) with a distinctive [vibrato](/source/vibrato)-laden singing voice.<ref name="AMG"/> Early in his career, he recorded under a number of pseudonyms, including '''Jelly Jaw Short'''.<ref name="Wirz"/> His noteworthy works include "Lonesome Swamp Rattlesnake" and "You're Tempting Me".<ref name="Dead">{{cite web|author=Doc Rock |url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1960.html |title=The 1960s |publisher=TheDeadRockStarsClub.com |accessdate=January 26, 2014}}</ref>

==Biography==
Short was born in [Port Gibson, Mississippi](/source/Port_Gibson%2C_Mississippi). He was a cousin of [Big Joe Williams](/source/Big_Joe_Williams) and [David "Honeyboy" Edwards](/source/David_%22Honeyboy%22_Edwards).<ref name="bare"/> He learned to play the piano and the guitar at an early age. He later mastered the harmonica, saxophone, [clarinet](/source/clarinet), and drums. He performed locally in the [Mississippi Delta](/source/Mississippi_Delta) at house parties. In 1923, he relocated to [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis), [Missouri](/source/Missouri).<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|author=Wynn, Ron |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jd-short-mn0000778597/biography |title=J.D. Short: Biography |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=January 26, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Oldies">{{cite web|url=http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/JD-Short.html |title=J.D. Short Biography |publisher=Oldies.com |date=December 26, 1902 |accessdate=January 26, 2014}}</ref>

Short went on to play with the Neckbones, [Henry Spaulding](/source/Henry_Spaulding), Honeyboy Edwards, Douglas Williams, and his cousin, [Big Joe Williams](/source/Big_Joe_Williams).<ref name="Rockument"/> In the 1930s, he recorded for [Vocalion Records](/source/Vocalion_Records).<ref name="Wirz"/> The musician [Henry Townsend](/source/Henry_Townsend_(musician)), in his autobiography, ''A Blues Life'', told of an incident in St. Louis in which, seemingly out of jealousy of Townsend's musical standing, Short attacked and stabbed him twice. Later, by way of revenge, Townsend shot Short in the genitals, destroying Short's [testicle](/source/testicle)s.<ref name="Townsend">{{cite book
| first= Henry
| last= Townsend
| year= 1999
| title= A Blues Life
| edition= 
| publisher= University of Illinois Press 
| location= Urbana
| isbn= 0-252-02526-1
| pages= 46–50}}</ref> The account was also mentioned in Townsend's obituary in ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.document-records.com/show_news.asp?articleID=347 |title=Henry Townsend |publisher=Document-records.com |accessdate=January 26, 2014}}</ref> Short continued performing in St. Louis after [World War II](/source/World_War_II), often as a [one-man band](/source/one-man_band) and sometimes with his cousin, Big Joe Williams.<ref name="Oldies"/>

Short disappeared from the [music industry](/source/music_industry) for more than two decades before re-emerging during the [blues revival](/source/blues_revival) of the 1960s. He achieved national recognition and went on to record for [Delmark Records](/source/Delmark_Records) and [Folkways Records](/source/Folkways_Records).<ref name="Rockument">{{cite web |url=http://www.rockument.com/blog/commentary/blues_roots_podcast_commentar/|title=Slidin' Delta|publisher=Rockument.com|accessdate=August 30, 2010}}</ref> Later, some of his recordings were released by [Sonet Records](/source/Sonet_Records).<ref name="Wirz"/>

Short appeared in a documentary film entitled ''[The Blues](/source/The_Blues_(film))'' that was released in 1963, where he was featured singing "Slidin' Delta".<ref name="AMG"/>

He died of a heart attack in October 1962, at the age of 59, in St. Louis.<ref name="bare"/>

Copies of two of Short's [Paramount](/source/Paramount_Records) single releases, "Steamboat Rousty" / "Gittin' Up On The Hill", and "Flaggin' It To Georgia" / "Tar Road Blues" are seemingly lost.<ref name="Tefteller">{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldminemag.com/articles/dealer-collector-john-tefteller-shares-10-blues-records-hed-love-to-find/|title=Dealer, collector John Tefteller shares 10 blues records he'd love to find|website=Goldminemag.com|date=December 21, 2011|access-date=November 11, 2025}}</ref>

==Discography==
;Compilations
*''Stavin' Chain Blues'', with [Big Joe Williams](/source/Big_Joe_Williams) (1961, [Delmark Records](/source/Delmark_Records))
*''Blues from the Mississippi Delta'', with [Son House](/source/Son_House) (1963, [Folkways Records](/source/Folkways_Records))<ref name="Wirz">{{cite web|url=http://www.wirz.de/music/gibsofrm.htm|title=J.D. Short Discography|publisher=Wirz.de|accessdate=January 26, 2014}}</ref>
*''Legacy of the Blues Vol. 8'' (Sonet 648), 1973, recorded in [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis), July 1962

==See also==
*[List of country blues musicians](/source/List_of_country_blues_musicians)
*[List of Delta blues musicians](/source/List_of_Delta_blues_musicians)
*[List of Memphis blues musicians](/source/List_of_Memphis_blues_musicians)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.wirz.de/music/shortjd.htm Complete discography at Wirz.de]
*{{Discogs artist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Short, J.D.}}
Category:1902 births
Category:1962 deaths
Category:People from Port Gibson, Mississippi
Category:American blues harmonica players
Category:American blues singers
Category:Songwriters from Mississippi
Category:Singers from Mississippi
Category:Memphis blues musicians
Category:Delta blues musicians
Category:Country blues musicians
Category:St. Louis blues musicians
Category:Delmark Records artists
Category:20th-century American singers
Category:Blues musicians from Mississippi
Category:Sonet Records artists
Category:20th-century American songwriters

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [J.D. Short](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.D._Short) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.D._Short?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.