ArtistInfo Logo  ArtistInfo

Artist Portrait

Skip James

g, voc, p, 1902-1969 US, Mississippi
Singer / Musician / Songwriter of Blues
A.k.a. Nehemiah Curtis James

Blues and gospel singer and songwriter, accomplished on guitar and piano. James frequently refused offers to be recorded and embraced his rediscovery in the 1960s only halfheartedly, but his otherworldly voice, haunting guitar, and staccato piano playing contributed to some of the greatest blues sides ever recorded. James was born on June 21, 1902, in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Raised on the Woodbine plantation just outside Betonia, Mississippi, James was drawn to music from an early age. As a child he was inspired to be a musician after he heard Henry Stuckey and Rich Griffin play a Saturday night dance party. He taught himself piano after watching a rural pianist, and developed his guitar style after Stuckey showed him how to tune his guitar to an open E minor chord. In 1927, Okeh Records approached him about making some records, but James refused. James was finally persuaded to see H.C. Spier in February of 1931, a master talent scout who had discovered most of the greatest Mississippi bluesmen of the 1920s and early 1930s. James played a little bit of "Devil Got My Woman," and Spier was convinced. The next day he presented the singer with a contract and a train ticket to Grafton, Wisconsin, where Paramount Records had a studio. James apparently recorded 18 tunes, though he would later remember performing 26 songs. Not long after his recording session, James met his father again for the first time since his childhood. The senior James was a Baptist minister, and asked Skip to go to Dallas to attend his divinity school and study for the ministry. James accepted the invitation. The most serious implication of his new-found religion was relinquishing the blues, which was considered the Devil's music. H.C. Spier again approached James in 1932 about recording for Victor Records, but James refused. In 1948 James quit a job with a mining company in Birmingham and returned to Betonia, planning to resume his blues career, but the African American population in Mississippi was dwindling and tastes in blues had changed, as well. He was only able to play an occasional party in town, and eventually vanished. Biographer Stephen Calt speculated that James' nickname may have had its roots in his criminal activities as he claimed that James often had to "skip" town in a hurry. It was not until 1964 that blues enthusiasts Bill Barth, John Fahey, and Henry Vestine located James in Tunica, Arkansas, where he lay in a hospital suffering from cancer. Finally coaxed back to performing, his first public appearance was the Newport Folk Festival that year. In constant pain from cancer, James was unable to record at first, despite interest from various record companies. In July of 1965, he received $200 for a session for Melodeon, which later that year resulted in his first album Greatest Of The Delta Blues Singers. He would later record two LPs for Vanguard, Skip James Today! and Devil Got My Woman. During the last four years of his life he occasionally played gigs at coffeehouses up and down the northeast coast. But his unrelentingly depressing music made the clubs loathe to book him, and his records were not particularly successful. Living in Philadelphia with his third wife, James was chronically broke during his last years, until the group Cream (2) recorded "I'm So Glad" and included James' songwriter's credit. Skip James died of cancer on October 3, 1969, in Philadelphia. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1992.

     
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • Vocals
  • Piano
Genres
  • Blues
  • Spoken Word
  • Folk
Popular Tracks   
Devil Got My Woman on Presenting Skip James by Skip James
Hard Time Killing Floor Blues on Blues From The Delta by Skip James
I'm So Glad on Blues From The Delta by Skip James
Crow Jane on Skip James Live Vol. 2 Bloomington 1968 Part 1 by Skip James
Devil Got My Woman on Devil Got My Woman by Skip James
Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues on Presenting Skip James by Skip James
Crow Jane on Blues From The Delta by Skip James
Cypress Grove Blues on 50 YEARS Mississippi Blues in Bentonia by Skip James & Jack Owens
Cherry Ball Blues on I'm so Glad by Skip James
Washington D.C. Hospital Center Blues on Blues From The Delta by Skip James

Track list and 30sec audio provided by

Discography



Title Artist Year Type
The Rough Guide To Skip JamesSkip James2018Compil.
Cherry Ball BluesSkip James2016Compil.
Cherry Ball BluesSkip James2016Compil.
Live At Wtbs-fm In Cambridge. Ma October 1964Mississippi John Hurt & Skip James2015Album
Live Cafe Au Go Go 1965Bukka White & Skip James2014Album
Blues MastersBlind Willie Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Skip James2012Compil.
Jesus Is A Mighty Good LeaderSkip James2011Compil.
Devil Got My WomanSkip James2009Compil.
1931Skip James2008Compil.
Vanguard VisionariesSkip James2007Compil.
Hard Time Killin' FloorSkip James2005Compil.
Legends Of Country Blues (The Complete Pre-War Recordings Of)Son House, Skip James, Bukka White, Tommy Johnson, Ishman Bracey2003Compil.
Heroes Of The Blues: The Very Best Of Skip JamesSkip James2003Compil.
Studio Sessions: Rare And UnreleasedSkip James2003Album
Hard TimeSkip James2002Compil.
The Complete Bloomington, Indiana, Concert, March 30, 1968, Part IISkip James1999Album
The Complete Bloomington, Indiana, Concert, March 30, 1968, Part ISkip James1999Album
Blues From The DeltaSkip James1998Compil.
Skip's Piano BluesSkip James1996Album
Jazz & Blues CollectionSkip James1996Album
She Lyin'Skip James1993Album
King Of The BluesSkip James1992Compil.
Live (Boston 1964 & Philadelphia 1966)Skip James1992Compil.
Three Shades Of BluesBukka White / Skip James / Blind Willie McTell1988Compil.
Live At "The Second Fret", Philadelphia, 1966Skip James1988Album
Skip James (1964-1967)Skip James1987Album
The Complete 1931 SessionSkip James1986Compil.
Delta Blues Heavy Hitters 1927-1931William Harris, Blind Joe Reynolds, Skip James1979Compil.
I'm So GladSkip James1978Album
Delta BluesRobert Johnson, Charley Patton, Skip James, Son House1971Compil.
Skip James: In The Beginning. The Original 1930-31 RecordingsSkip James1971Compil.
'A Tribute To Skip James' Volume OneSkip James1970Album
Devil Got My WomanSkip James1968Album
Living LegendsSon House • Skip James • Bukka White • Big Joe Williams1966Album
Skip James Today!Skip James1966Album
Greatest Of The Delta Blues SingersSkip James1965Album
Four O'Clock Blues / How Long BluesSkip James1964Album
Drunken Spree / What Am I To DoSkip James1931Album
Be Ready When He Comes / Jesus Is A Mighty Good LeaderSkip James1931Album
22-20 Blues / If You Haven't Got Any Hay, Get On Down The RoadSkip James1931Album
Cherry Ball Blues / Hard Time Killing Floor BluesSkip James1931Album
Hard Luck Child / 4 O'Clock BluesSkip James1931Album
I'm So Glad / Special Rider BluesSkip James1931Album
Illinois Blues / Yola My Blues AwaySkip James1931Album
How Long "Buck" / Little Cow And Calf Is Gonna Die BluesSkip James1931Album
Devil Got My Woman / Cypress Grove BluesSkip James1931Album
50 Years Mississippi Blues In Bentonia (1931-1981)Skip James, Jack OwensCompil.
ArtistInfo App
ArtistInfo for iOS and ArtistInfo for Mac are presenting musicians, composers and producers that are envolved in the musical work that you are listening to in Apple Music, iTunes, or Spotify. Discover new music via the network among artists. Manage your favorite musicians and albums via iCloud and share recommendations with your friends via email, AirDrop, or Social Media.

App Store Logo     Mac App Store Logo

Acknowledgements
To all the music fans that are contributing on Discogs, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Thanks to Franz Flückiger for providing Storygram used to visualize band membership.
ArtistInfo for Mac, iPad, and iPhone
ArtistInfo App
Universal Link: https://music.metason.net/artistinfo?name=Skip%20James
ArtistInfo Community
Most seen topics within ArtistInfo:

Top 10 Artists    Top 20 Albums
 
What others are currently looking for:

Recent Artists    Recent Albums

ArtistInfo Logo ArtistInfo by Metason © 2015-2020 Metason Logo