Shirley Griffith: Early Life

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Shirley Griffith
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Shirley Griffith (April 26, 1907 – June 18, 1974)[1][2] was an American male blues singer and
guitarist, mainly based in Indianapolis. He is best known for his recordings "Walkin' Blues" and
"Bad Luck Blues".[3]
Early life [edit]
Griffith was born in Brandon, Mississippi,[2] the second child of Willie and Maggie Griffith. He had
five sisters and three brothers. He learned to play the guitar at the age of 10.
Music career [edit]
In the 1920s, his friend and mentor Tommy Johnson gave him further guitar instruction, [4] and
offered to help him get started in a music career, but, by Griffith's own account, he was too “wild
and reckless” in those days.
He settled in Indianapolis, where he lived for the rest of his life, [4] working in automotive
factories. While there he became friends with Scrapper Blackwell and Leroy Carr.[4] In 1935,
Carr offered to take Griffith to New York for a recording session, but Carr died suddenly, and the Shirley Griffith at the Ann Arbor
trip was never made. Blues Festival, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
Aug. 1969. Photo by Jeff Titon.
Griffith re-emerged as a musician in the 1960s to record with J. T. Adams,[4] and play at festivals
with Yank Rachell.[5] He performed at the first Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969 and at the Notre
Dame Blues Festival in 1971.
Recordings [edit]
Art Rosenbaum, who produced Griffith’s Bluesville albums,[6] wrote in the liner notes to Saturday Blues:
“I recall one August afternoon shortly after these recordings were made; Shirley sat in Scrapper Blackwell’s furnished room singing the
Bye Bye Blues with such intensity that everyone present was deeply moved, though they had all heard him sing it many times before.
Scrapper was playing, too, and the little room swelled with sound. When they finished there was a moment of awkward silence. Finally
Shirley smiled and said, ‘The blues’ll kill you. And make you live, too.’"
Personal life [edit]
Griffith had four children: Elonza Griffith, Walter James Griffith, Freddie M. Proctor and Mary T. Griffith. His first wife was Addie B.
McNeil, His second wife was Elizabeth.
He died of heart disease in Indianapolis, at the age of 67. [3]
Discography [edit]
Studio albums
The Blues of J. T. Adams and Shirley Griffith: Indiana Ave. Blues (LP album), Prestige Bluesville BVLP 1077 (1964)
The Blues of Shirley Griffith: Saturday Blues (LP album), Prestige Bluesville BVLP 1087 (1965)
Mississippi Blues (LP album), Blue Goose Records BG-2011 (1973)
References [edit]
1. ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience . Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 219. ISBN 978-0313344237.
2. ^ a b Allmusic.com [dead link]. Accessed February 2010.
a b
3. ^ Thedeadrockstarsclub.com . Accessed February 2010.
4. ^ a bc d Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 153. ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
5. ^ Stapleton-Corcoran, Erin (2004). "Shirley Griffith" . The Blues Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 381.
6. ^ "Shirley Griffith Discography" . wirz.de. Retrieved 30 September 2016,
External links [edit]
Illustrated Shirley Griffith discography
Authority control
General VIAF · WorldCat
National libraries United States
Other MusicBrainz artist
Categories: 1907 births 1974 deaths American blues singers American blues guitarists American male guitarists
Songwriters from Mississippi 20th-century American guitarists African-American male songwriters African-American guitarists
20th-century African-American male singers
This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 16:53 (UTC).
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Toggle the table of contents

Early life [edit]

Music career [edit]

Personal life [edit]

He died of heart disease in Indianapolis, at the age of 67. [3]

External links [edit]

Illustrated Shirley Griffith discography

National libraries United States

Other MusicBrainz artist

This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 16:53 (UTC).

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