# Pink Anderson

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American blues singer and guitarist

Pink Anderson Anderson and his son "Little Pink" Anderson in the 1960s Background information Born Pinkney Anderson (1900-02-12)February 12, 1900 Laurens, South Carolina, U.S. Died October 12, 1974(1974-10-12) (aged 74) Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. Genres Piedmont blues country blues Instruments Guitar vocals Years active 1930s–1960s

Musical artist

**Pinkney "Pink" Anderson** (February 12, 1900 – October 12, 1974)[1] was an American [blues](/source/Blues) singer and guitarist.

## Life, career and legacy

Anderson was born in [Laurens, South Carolina](/source/Laurens%2C_South_Carolina), and raised in nearby [Greenville](/source/Greenville%2C_South_Carolina) and [Spartanburg](/source/Spartanburg%2C_South_Carolina). He joined Dr. William R. Kerr of the Indian Remedy Company in 1914 to entertain the crowds, while Kerr tried to sell a concoction purported to have medicinal qualities.[2] During this time Anderson occasionally worked with [Blind Simmie Dooley](/source/Blind_Simmie_Dooley) in the Spartanburg area, recording with him in 1928 for the [Columbia](/source/Columbia_Records) label.[3] In the 1950s, Anderson toured with Leo "Chief Thundercloud" Kahdot of the [Potawatomi](/source/Potawatomi) tribal nation[4] and his [medicine show](/source/Medicine_show),[3] often with the harmonica player Arthur "[Peg Leg Sam](/source/Peg_Leg_Sam)" Jackson, who was based in [Jonesville, South Carolina](/source/Jonesville%2C_South_Carolina).

Cemetery marker for Anderson in Lincoln Memorial Garden, with a Gibson J-50 guitar

Anderson was recorded by the folklorist [Paul Clayton](/source/Paul_Clayton_(folksinger)) at the [Virginia State Fair](/source/Virginia_State_Fair) in May 1950. He recorded an album in the early 1960s and performed at some live venues.[5] He appeared in the 1963 film *[The Bluesmen](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Bluesmen&action=edit&redlink=1)*. Anderson reduced his activities in the late 1960s after a stroke.[6] Attempts by the folklorist [Peter B. Lowry](/source/Peter_B._Lowry) to record Anderson in 1970 were not successful, although apparently he could occasionally summon up some of his past abilities. A final [tour](/source/Concert_tour) took place in the early 1970s with the aid of [Roy Book Binder](/source/Roy_Book_Binder), one of his students, taking him to Boston and New York City.

Anderson died in October 1974 of a heart attack, at the age of 74. He is interred at Lincoln Memorial Gardens, in Spartanburg.[1]

Anderson's son, known as [Little Pink Anderson](/source/Little_Pink_Anderson) (born July 13, 1954),[7] is a bluesman living in [Vermillion, South Dakota](/source/Vermillion%2C_South_Dakota).[8]

[Syd Barrett](/source/Syd_Barrett), of English [rock](/source/Rock_music) band [Pink Floyd](/source/Pink_Floyd), created the band's name by juxtaposing the first names of Anderson and [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) bluesman [Floyd Council](/source/Floyd_Council);[5] he had noticed the names in the liner notes of a 1962 album by [Blind Boy Fuller](/source/Blind_Boy_Fuller).[9]

## Discography

### Singles

- "Papa's About to Get Mad" / "Gonna Tip Out Tonight", Pink Anderson and Simmie Dooley (recorded April 14, 1928), Columbia 14336-D

- "Every Day in the Week Blues" / "C.C. and O. Blues", Pink Anderson and Simmie Dooley (recorded April 14, 1928), Columbia 14400-D

### Albums

- *[American Street Songs](/source/American_Street_Songs)* ([Riverside](/source/Riverside_Records), 1956) – shared album with [Reverend Gary Davis](/source/Reverend_Gary_Davis)

- *[Carolina Blues Man](/source/Carolina_Blues_Man)* ([Bluesville](/source/Bluesville_Records), 1961)

- *[Medicine Show Man](/source/Medicine_Show_Man)* (Bluesville, 1962)

- *[Ballad & Folksinger](/source/The_Blues_of_Pink_Anderson%3A_Ballad_%26_Folksinger)* (Bluesville, 1963)

- *[Carolina Medicine Show Hokum & Blues](/source/Carolina_Medicine_Show_Hokum_%26_Blues)* ([Folkways](/source/Folkways_Records), 1961–62 [1984])

## See also

- [List of blues musicians](/source/List_of_blues_musicians)

- [List of country blues musicians](/source/List_of_country_blues_musicians)

- [List of people from South Carolina](/source/List_of_people_from_South_Carolina)

- [List of Piedmont blues musicians](/source/List_of_Piedmont_blues_musicians)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dead_rock_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dead_rock_1-1) ["Dead Rock Stars website"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070928115601/http://users.efortress.com/doc-rock/1970.html). Archived from [the original](http://users.efortress.com/doc-rock/1970.html) on September 28, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Komara, Edward, ed. (October 28, 2005). "Pinkney 'Pink' Anderson". *The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Blues*. New York: Routledge. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-415-92699-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-415-92699-7). [OL](/source/OL_(identifier)) [7496252M](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7496252M).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) Harris, Sheldon (1991). *Blues who's who : a biographical dictionary of blues singers*. New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 33–34. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0306801558](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0306801558).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Kruesi, Margaret (Fall 2004). ["Herbs! Roots! Bark! Leaves!"](https://www.loc.gov/folklife/news/news-text-fall2004.html). *Folklife Center News*. Vol. 26, no. 4. [American Folklife Center](/source/American_Folklife_Center), [Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress). pp. 5–7. Retrieved January 22, 2010.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-amg_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-amg_5-1) Unterberger, Richie. ["Pink Anderson: Biography"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p27739/biography). *AllMusic*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-russell_6-0)** Russell, Tony (1997). *The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray*. Dubai: Carlton Books. pp. 88–89. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-85868-255-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-85868-255-X).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Biography on the CD *Sittin' Here Singing the Blues*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["National Music Museum Photo, National Music Museum Pictures, Stills, Alvin "Little Pink" Anderson, a Carolina bluesman now living in"](http://newshopper.sulekha.com/national-music-museum_photo_31159.htm). Newshopper.sulekha.com. Retrieved December 30, 2011.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** WRAL (June 25, 2019). ["Pink Floyd's name traces back to NC"](https://www.wral.com/pink-floyd-s-name-traces-back-to-nc/18473634/). *WRAL.com*. Retrieved January 16, 2020.

## External links

- *[Pink Anderson](https://www.discogs.com/master/386906)* at [Discogs](/source/Discogs) (list of releases)

- [Pink Anderson](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5943597/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [Grave marker](http://www.deadbluesguys.com/dbgtour/anderson_pink.htm)

- [Illustrated Pink Anderson Discography](http://www.wirz.de/music/andepink.htm)

- [Introducing Pink Anderson](https://web.archive.org/web/20020207070322/http://hem.passagen.se/evilclown/pinkfloyd/PA.htm)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National United States France BnF data Spain Norway Israel Artists MusicBrainz Discography of American Historical Recordings People Deutsche Biographie Other IdRef SNAC Yale LUX

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