The ol' "singin" Governor left us yesterday at 101 years old.

The obits are of course filled with mentions of "You Are My Sunshine", "Makes No difference Now", and his segregationist politics (what the hell else would he have been?) but naturally there is absolutely NO mention of his wonderful Blues singing. I shouldn't be surprised, 'cause so few people would care....but it still ticks me off.

Jimmie recorded some amazingly WEIRD and delightfully "dirty" blues in the early thirties, backed up by black slide master Oscar Woods. The integrated band may not have been the first to record (Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang probably beat them by a bit) but I'll bet they were the first down South. I hope you get a chance to hear "She's Comin' Thru Town in Her Red Nitegown", or "Sewing Machine Blues". They are superb! And get this...the cuts also had perhaps the most obscure original guitarist of all time.."Snoozer Quinn" on them.

Like most of the "double entendre" singers, Jimmie recorded an equal number of hard line Gospel songs. I LOVE the dichotomy.

Rest in peace Jimmie, you may have been an old rascal, but you gave me some of the best music I've ever heard!

Rick