{{Short description|American country blues fiddle player from Denton, Texas}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Prince Albert Hunt | birth_name = Archie Albert Hunt | birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|12|20}} | birth_place = Terrell, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1931|3|21|1896|12|20}} | death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S. | genre = Country blues | occupation = Musician | instrument = {{flatlist| * Vocal * Guitar * Fiddle }} }} '''Archie "Prince" Albert Hunt''' (December 20, 1896 – March 21, 1931) from Terrell, Texas<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/prince-albert-hunts-texas-ramblers-mn0000361731 Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers | Biography & History | AllMusic] Retrieved 2018-04-12.</ref> was an American country blues fiddle player. He was one of the founders of the musical genre later defined as Western swing.
Hunt was born as Archie Albert Hunt in Terrell, Texas to Archibald Hunt and Manasa Emma Lee Skates.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Ron|date=11 November 2020|title=The Wild Life (and Death) of Terrell's Greatest Fiddler, Prince Albert Hunt|url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2020/november/no-strings-attached/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-13|website=D Magazine|language=en}}</ref> As a child, he learned to play the fiddle by stealing his father's instrument and self-teaching himself in a nearby graveyard. Though much of Hunt's personal life is obscure, it is known he served in the First World War, and his first professional work as a musician was as a member of a traveling minstrel show, in the early 1920s.<ref name=oxford>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/468-occurrence-at-deep-ellum|title=OCCURRENCE AT DEEP ELLUM|publisher=Oxford America|author=King, Christopher|accessdate=July 9, 2015}}</ref> On March 28, 1928, Hunt and his group, the Texas Ramblers, which included violinist Harmon Clem and an unknown guitarist, recorded in San Antonio for Okeh Records.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/prince-albert-hunts-texas-ramblers-mn0000361731|title=Prince Albert's Texas Ramblers - Biography|author=Chadbourne, Eugene|website=AllMusic |accessdate=July 8, 2015}}</ref> Of the sides the group laid down, "Blues in the Bottle" was arguably his most accomplished for its diverse assortment of country blues, ragtime and old-time music. It was later included in Rich Nevins' compilation album, ''Times Ain’t Like They Used to Be, Volume 1'' along with other contemporaries.<ref name=oxford/>
In addition to being a recording artist, Hunt regularly performed on local radio stations and venues, usually in blackface, with his neighbors Doc and Oscar Harper. Hunt particularly favored the neighborhood known as Deep Ellum, which was also frequented by other blues musicians, but notorious for its red-light district. On June 26, 1929, Hunt and the Texas Ramblers recorded for the last time, with the session taking place in Dallas. Among the six songs recorded was "Wake Up, Jacob" which was featured on the renowned compilation created by Harry Everett Smith, ''Anthology of American Folk Music'', in 1952. An unknown composition was cut, but was either never released or no original copies exist. The song, "Oklahoma Rag" was released as under Prince Albert Hunt and Hermon Clem. The recordings were later seen as a primary influence in Western swing and country music in general.<ref name=tex>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CE8xiT3pV6QC&q=prince+albert+hunt&pg=PT780|title=''Handbook to Texas Music''|author=Palinski, Laurie|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|year=2012|isbn=9780876112977}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/princealbert.html |title=Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers|work=redhotjazz.com|accessdate=July 8, 2015}}</ref>
On 31 March 1931 Hunt was shot to death outside Confederate Hall. His assailant, William M. Douglas, reported that he murdered Hunt out of jealousy for dancing with his wife.<ref name=tex/> In 1974, a documentary titled ''Memories of Prince Albert Hunt'' was released and was centered on the musician's life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.folkstreams.net/film,180|title=Prince Albert Hunt|work=folkstreams.net|accessdate=July 8, 2015}}</ref>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Prince Albert}} Category:1896 births Category:1931 deaths Category:Country blues musicians Category:People from Terrell, Texas Category:Western swing performers Category:People from Denton, Texas Category:Deaths by firearm in Texas Category:20th-century American people