Lonnie Pitchford - Delta Bluesman
.Lonnie Pitchford: A Biography by Patrice Harper (SHS)
Lonnie Pitchford, a Delta blues musician, was born October 8, 1955, near Lexington, Mississippi, to Rosie Pitchford. He was actually raised about five miles outside of Lexington, a rural Mississippi town that is close to Clarksdale, Mississippi. Lonnie made a one-string guitar called the ”Diddley Bow” at the age of five years old. He later continued to make this guitar on stage when he performed. In 1974 Lonnie became an overnight wonder when the Smithsonian discovered his ability to bring the material of the legendary Robert Johnson to life (Pareles).
When Lonnie Pitchford was seventeen years old, he went to Washington, D.C., to play at the National Folk Festival (Skelly). He was discovered by folklorist and ethnomusicologist Worth Long in Washington where Pitchford performed on the one-string diddley bow (Steber-The Digital Journalist). Lonnie went on to play in lots of bands in his teen years, and he did R&B and Blues covers. He also enjoyed playing in church groups, which he started doing at the age of twelve.
Lonnie Pitchford learned his Delta blues from Eugene Powell, who played with the Mississippi Sheiks in the 30’s. Lonnie also learned Delta blues from Robert Junior Lockwood, whose stepfather was Robert Johnson.
When Lonnie Pitchford was thirty-six, he had toured Australia, Europe, and the United States. Lonnie also had a second job when he wasn’t singing blues or making records: he was a carpenter in his hometown in Mississippi (Pareles). Lonnie Pitchford had two sisters, one named Ersine Hodges, and the other Brenda Jones. Lonnie also had four brothers named Willie Douglas, Andrew James, Edward Charles and Roosevelt (Pareles). His mother Rosie is still living.
Pitchford began performing outside of Mississippi as a teen-ager. At seventeen he appeared at the Smithsonian Institution’s Festival of American Folklore (1972), and he continued to play there until 1991 (Pareles). In 1994 Lonnie put out his only solo album for Rooster Blues Records called All around Man. In 1998, just before his death, Lonnie put out a release on the German L&R Records. He also did Roots of Rhythm and Blues: A Tribute to the Robert Johnson Era in 1992 for Columbia Records and an album for Deep Blues in 1992 for Anxious Records. He appeared in two documentaries The Land Where the Blues Began in1980 and Deep Blues in 1992. He also recorded for five blues anthologies before he made his solo album, All Around Man. He was working on an album for Mississippi Crossroads Music and had made an album with the New Africa String Band and was featured on one track of a John Cougar Mellencamp CD.
Pitchford talks about his diddley bow in the liner for All Around Man. Pitchford writes: “When I was five or six, I would make a one-string guitar upside the wall. I would get me some baling wire or wire from a broom that my Mom had discarded, and some old rusty nails – didn’t have new ones – I had to pull them out of the old boards. Then I would pound them into the wall upside the house, wrap the wire at both ends and lay a snuff can under the bottom. Then I’d just go to playing anything that came to mind.” The producers for what is Lonnie’s only full length CD were Lonnie Pitchford, Patty Johnson and Jim O”Neal.
On November 8, 1998, Lonnie Pitchford died at the age of 43 at his home in Lexington, Mississippi. He leaves behind a daughter, and a wife named Minnie Pitchford. He is buried at Newport Community Cemetery near Ebenezer, Mississippi, near the grave of Elmore James. He had been voted one of Living Blues magazine’s “top 40 under 40” new blues players to watch.
[text lifted from www.mswritersandmusicians.com]
Lonnie Pitchford, a Delta blues musician, was born October 8, 1955, near Lexington, Mississippi, to Rosie Pitchford. He was actually raised about five miles outside of Lexington, a rural Mississippi town that is close to Clarksdale, Mississippi. Lonnie made a one-string guitar called the ”Diddley Bow” at the age of five years old. He later continued to make this guitar on stage when he performed. In 1974 Lonnie became an overnight wonder when the Smithsonian discovered his ability to bring the material of the legendary Robert Johnson to life (Pareles).
When Lonnie Pitchford was seventeen years old, he went to Washington, D.C., to play at the National Folk Festival (Skelly). He was discovered by folklorist and ethnomusicologist Worth Long in Washington where Pitchford performed on the one-string diddley bow (Steber-The Digital Journalist). Lonnie went on to play in lots of bands in his teen years, and he did R&B and Blues covers. He also enjoyed playing in church groups, which he started doing at the age of twelve.
Lonnie Pitchford learned his Delta blues from Eugene Powell, who played with the Mississippi Sheiks in the 30’s. Lonnie also learned Delta blues from Robert Junior Lockwood, whose stepfather was Robert Johnson.
When Lonnie Pitchford was thirty-six, he had toured Australia, Europe, and the United States. Lonnie also had a second job when he wasn’t singing blues or making records: he was a carpenter in his hometown in Mississippi (Pareles). Lonnie Pitchford had two sisters, one named Ersine Hodges, and the other Brenda Jones. Lonnie also had four brothers named Willie Douglas, Andrew James, Edward Charles and Roosevelt (Pareles). His mother Rosie is still living.
Pitchford began performing outside of Mississippi as a teen-ager. At seventeen he appeared at the Smithsonian Institution’s Festival of American Folklore (1972), and he continued to play there until 1991 (Pareles). In 1994 Lonnie put out his only solo album for Rooster Blues Records called All around Man. In 1998, just before his death, Lonnie put out a release on the German L&R Records. He also did Roots of Rhythm and Blues: A Tribute to the Robert Johnson Era in 1992 for Columbia Records and an album for Deep Blues in 1992 for Anxious Records. He appeared in two documentaries The Land Where the Blues Began in1980 and Deep Blues in 1992. He also recorded for five blues anthologies before he made his solo album, All Around Man. He was working on an album for Mississippi Crossroads Music and had made an album with the New Africa String Band and was featured on one track of a John Cougar Mellencamp CD.
Pitchford talks about his diddley bow in the liner for All Around Man. Pitchford writes: “When I was five or six, I would make a one-string guitar upside the wall. I would get me some baling wire or wire from a broom that my Mom had discarded, and some old rusty nails – didn’t have new ones – I had to pull them out of the old boards. Then I would pound them into the wall upside the house, wrap the wire at both ends and lay a snuff can under the bottom. Then I’d just go to playing anything that came to mind.” The producers for what is Lonnie’s only full length CD were Lonnie Pitchford, Patty Johnson and Jim O”Neal.
On November 8, 1998, Lonnie Pitchford died at the age of 43 at his home in Lexington, Mississippi. He leaves behind a daughter, and a wife named Minnie Pitchford. He is buried at Newport Community Cemetery near Ebenezer, Mississippi, near the grave of Elmore James. He had been voted one of Living Blues magazine’s “top 40 under 40” new blues players to watch.
[text lifted from www.mswritersandmusicians.com]
