Singing with a depth of feeling and emotional impact that has been described as “crying the blues,” guitarist/songwriter John Adams “Sleepy John” Estes earned his place in the country blues pantheon with pre-war standards like “Someday Baby” and “Dropdown Mama.” One of 16 children born to a sharecropper family near Ripley, Tennessee, Estes taught himself how to play using a homemade cigar-box guitar and crafted a highly personal repertoire of songs. His discovery by the 1960s folk revivalists rescued him from poverty and gave him a second musical career that lasted nearly 15 years.
Sign up for Mars Beat Studio’s latest Products and News.
Volume 1 portrays 35 outstanding musical legends that have shaped and continue to inspire America’s rich jazz tradition.
Volume 2 portrays 35 outstanding musical Blues legends that have helped begin most other forms of music.