| Birth name | Robert Brown |
|---|---|
| Birth date | July 31, 1927 |
| Birth place | Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States |
| Death date | May 1973 (age 45) (probable) |
| Death place | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States |
| Instrument | Guitar, vocals |
| Genre | Louisiana blues, Piedmont blues |
| Occupation | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1960s |
Robert Brown (July 31, 1927 – May 1973),[1][2] who performed as Smoky Babe, was an American acoustic blues guitarist and singer, whose recording career was restricted to a couple of recording sessions in the early 1960s. He has been variously described as a Louisiana blues, Piedmont blues and blues revival musician.[3] His most noteworthy recordings are "Going Downtown Boogie" and "Ain't Got No Rabbit Dog".[2]
Career
Brown was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi.[2] He was recorded by Harry Oster of Louisiana State University in 1960 and 1961,[4][5] and the results were released by the Folk Lyric, Bluesville and Storyville labels.[6]
Other than his recordings, little is known of his life. The circumstances of his death are unclear. Some sources report that he died in June 1975,[3] but the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc have stated that he probably died in May 1973 in Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[1]
His song, "Boogy", is included on the compilation album Blues Roots: Give Me the Blues (1979),[7] and "Hottest Brand Goin'" and "Locomotive Blues" are included in the collection The Bluesville Years, Vol. 9: Down the Country Way (1998).[8]
Discography
- Smoky Babe and His Friends: Hot Blues (1961), Folk-Lyric,[9] 77 Records, Arhoolie
- Hottest Brand Goin' (1961), Bluesville (Reissued on CD as The Blues of Smokey Babe)[10]
- Smoky Babe, Herman E. Johnson, Louisiana Country Blues (1997), Arhoolie [6]
- Smoky Babe: Way Back in the Country Blues (2014), Arhoolie[11]
References
- ^ Eagle, Bob & LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 198. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ Doc Rock. "The 1970s". TheDeadRockStarsClub.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Koda, Cub. "Smoky Babe: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Broven, John (1992). South to Louisiana. 3rd ed. Pelican Publishing. p. 117. ISBN 1-55553-355-8.
- ^ "Big Road Blues – Part 2". Sundayblues.org. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Wirz, Stefan. "Illustrated Smoky Babe Discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Wirz, Stefan. "Illustrated Jim Brewer Discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Wirz, Stefan. "Illustrated Scrapper Blackwell Discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "Smoky Babe And His Friends Discography - Vinyl Albums - USA - Vinyl Albums". 45worlds.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ^ Russell, Tony & Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 598. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
- ^ "Way Back in the Country Blues - Smoky Babe | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2021.