Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906 in Elmar, Arkansas – July 17, 1983 in New Orleans, Louisiana) was an American blues musician also known as "Honeydripper". Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression

He was a successful and prolific cigar-chomping blues piano player who influenced blues piano playing with his rollicking thundering boogie. Piano blues refers to a variety of Blues styles sharing only the characteristic that they use the Piano as the primary musical instrument Boogie is a repetitive Swung note or Shuffle Rhythm, "groove" or pattern used in Blues which was originally played ^[1]

Career

Sykes grew up near Helena, Arkansas but at age 15, began playing piano with a barrelhouse style of blues at various places until ending up in the St. Louis, Missouri area where he met St. Louis Jimmy Oden. Helena is the eastern portion of Helena-West Helena Arkansas, a city in Phillips County Arkansas. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers James Burke "St Louis Jimmy" Oden ( June 26 1903 - December 30 1977) was an American Blues vocalist He started recording in the 1920s, signing with multiple labels and recording under various names including "Easy Papa Johnson", "Dobby Bragg", and "Willie Kelly". The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music After he and Oden moved to Chicago he found his first period of great fame when he signed with Decca Records in 1935. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Decca Records is a British Record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. In 1943, he signed to Bluebird Records and recorded with "The Honeydrippers". Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bluebird Records is a sub- label of RCA Victor Records originally created in 1932 to counter ARC Records in the "3 records for a dollar" ^[2]

Sykes, like bluesmen of his time, travelled around playing to all-male audiences in sawmill, turpentine and levee camps along the Mississippi River, and gathering a repertoire of raw, sexually explicit material. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to In 1929 he was spotted by a talent scout and sent to New York City to record for Okeh Records. The City of New York Okeh Records began as an Independent record label based in the United States of America in His first release was "'44' Blues" which became a blues classic and his trademark. He settled in Chicago and began to display an increasing urbanity in his lyric-writing, using an 8-bar blues pop gospel structure instead of the traditional 12-bar blues. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. An eight bar blues is a typical Blues chord progression taking eight 4/4 bars to the verse Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to However, despite the growing urbanity of his outlook, he could not compete in the post-World War II music scene, though he did continue to record for small labels until he stopped recording in the 1950s . World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including When he returned to recording in the 1960s it was to label like Delmark Records, Bluesville Records, Storyville Records and Folkways Records, labels that were documenting the quickly passing blues history. Delmark Records is the oldest Independent record label in the United States. Bluesville Records is a subsidiary of Prestige Storyville Records is a Denmark based Record label founded in 1950 by Karl Emil Knudsen, a jazz record collector then working for the Copenhagen Folkways Records is a Record label that documents folk and world music ^[3]

Roosevelt left Chicago in 1954 for New Orleans as electric blues took over the Chicago blues clubs. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana He lived out his final years in New Orleans until he died on July 17, 1983. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana ^[1]

Legacy

Roosevelt Sykes had a long career spanning the pre-war and postwar eras. His pounding piano boogies and risqué lyrics characterize his contributions to the blues. He was responsible for influential blues songs such as "44 Blues," "Driving Wheel," and "Night Time Is the Right Time. "^[1]

He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1999. The Blues Hall of Fame is a listing of people who have significantly contributed to Blues music Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) ^[4]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Phil Brodie Band Tribute Page - Roosevelt Sykes. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus"
2. ^ Roosevelt Sykes could play those 88's. African American Registry. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus"
3. ^ Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, p. 14-17. ISBN 0-02-061740-2.  
4. ^ Blues Hall of Fame Inductees - 1999. Blues Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus"