Alexander "Papa" Lightfoot (March 2, 1924 – November 28, 1971), also known as Papa George Lightfoot, was an American blues singer and harmonica player.[1]

Papa Lightfoot
Background information
Birth nameAlexander Lightfoot
Also known asPapa George Lightfoot
Born(1924-03-02)March 2, 1924
Natchez, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedNovember 28, 1971(1971-11-28) (aged 47)
Natchez, Mississippi, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
  • Harmonica
  • vocals
Years active1940s–1971
Labels

Biography

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Born in Natchez, Mississippi, Lightfoot recorded several sessions in his late twenties—for Peacock Records in 1949[1] (which were never issued), Sultan Records in 1950, Aladdin Records in 1952, and Imperial Records in 1954. After final singles for Savoy Records in 1955 and Excello Records in 1956,[2] Lightfoot quit recording, still an obscure Southern blues harmonica player.[1]

As interest grew in rural Delta blues in the 1960s, Lightfoot's name became more well-known and, in 1969, record producer Steve LaVere went to Lightfoot's home town of Natchez, and asked him to record again.[3] The result was the album Natchez Trace, released on Vault Records in 1969, which brought Lightfoot briefly to the forefront of the blues revival.[1] Rural Blues Vol. 2 followed on Liberty Records later that same year.[4]

However, his comeback was cut short by his death in November 1971 of respiratory failure in Natchez, Mississippi.[3][5]

The recordings were reissued in 1995 as Goin' Back to the Natchez Trace, with six additional tracks and recorded monologue.[6]

In 2009, Lightfoot was posthumously honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Natchez, granted by the Mississippi Blues Foundation.[7][8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 238. ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
  2. ^ "Illustrated Papa George Lightfoot discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Papa George Lightfoot | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  4. ^ "Papa George Lightfoot | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "The Dead Rock Stars Club - The 1970s". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  6. ^ Bognadanov et al., p. 341
  7. ^ Mickens, Cassandra (September 5, 2009). "Blues Trail marker unveiled for Lightfoot". Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  8. ^ "The Mississippi Blues Trail - Complete List of Installed Markers". Msbluestrail.org. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
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