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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSYKES, Roosevelt(b 31 Jan. '06, Elmar AR; d 17 July '83, New Orleans) Blues singer, songwriter and one of the greatest of all blues pianists. His brother Walter Sykes also played piano and sang; Roosevelt accompanied blues singers incl. Mary Johnson (Lonnie Johnson's wife until '32) as Sykes and Johnson on Champion '32, his sister Isabel on Bluebird '33; own records prolifically for OKeh, Paramount, Victor, Melotone, Columbia, Decca '33--43, often under names of Easy Papa Johnson, Dobby Bragg, Willie Kelly; on Decca as Rosy Sykes, the Honeydripper (from reputation as lady's man). On Specialty c'46 with Jump Jackson; on Victor again '45--9; worked club dates in Chicago with Lonnie Johnson c'50. Appeared in films Roosevelt Sykes: The Honeydripper '61 (made in Belgium), Roosevelt Sykes '71, Blues Under The Skin '72 (France), documentary The Devil's Music '76 (BBC TV) etc. LPs were Blues And Ribald '71 on Southland; Blues From The Bottoms '71 on 77 with Robert Pete Williams (singer, played guitar, harmonica; b 14 March '14, Zachary LA; d 31 Dec. '80, LA); Country Blues Piano Ace (1929-- 32 tracks) on Yazoo, Meet Roosevelt Sykes on Jewel, Urban Blues on Fantasy with Little Brother Montgomery, Original Honeydripper on Blind Pig; Raining In My Heart on Delmark collected United combo sides '51--3, some with Remo Biondi on violin; Roosevelt Sykes: Portraits In Blues Vol. 11 '66 on Storyville (made in Copenhagen). On CD: The Honeydripper's Duke's Mixture c'71 on French Barclay was reissued on Verve; The Honeydripper and The Return Of Roosevelt Sykes from Prestige later on Fantasy; Blues By Roosevelt 'The Honeydripper' Sykes '61 on Smithsonian/Folkways; Delmark recordings '63--73 incl. Hard Drivin' Blues with Homesick James (singer, played bass, guitar, harmonica; b John William Henderson, 30 April '10, Somerville TN); Feel Like Blowing My Horn '70 with King Kolax on trumpet. |