Sampson "Buddy" Pittman (March 17, 1900 – June 10, 1945) was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. His only known works were recorded alongside fellow Delta blues musician Calvin Frazier by the American folklorist Alan Lomax in Detroit, Michigan, in 1938.
Sampson Pittman | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sampson Pittman |
| Born | March 17, 1900 Joiner, Arkansas, United States |
| Died | June 10, 1945 (aged 45) Saginaw, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | Delta blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1930s |
| Labels | Various |
Biography edit
Pittman was born in Joiner, Arkansas, United States[1] in 1900.[2][3] He was the son of David Pittman and Evelyn (nee Powell) Wellchance Pittman Harrell. It is apparent from his songs "I Been Down in the Circle Before" and "Levee Camp Story", that he worked as a construction hand on the Laconia Circle Levee near Snow Lake, Arkansas, as a young man. He lived near Blytheville, Arkansas, before moving to Detroit, Michigan, around 1936.[4]
Pittman died on June 10, 1945, in Saginaw, Michigan,[5] and was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw.
1938 recording edit
Samson was recorded by folklorist Alan Lomax in Detroit, Michigan, during three sessions between 15 October – 1 November 1938. During these sessions, Pittman accompanied Calvin Frazier on guitar on twelve recordings and sang on ten of his own original recordings.[6] The Frazier-Pittman recordings were released by Flyright Records in 1980 on the album I'm In The Highway Man.[7] Pittman's tracks alone were compiled into the 1992 album The Devil is Busy by Laurie Records.[8]
Discography edit
- The Devil is Busy, (Laurie Records, 1992)[8]
References edit
- ^ "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921–1952". Familysearch.org. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ "Baby Worldchance", United States census, 1900; Scout Township Bard's town, Mississippi, Arkansas;. Retrieved on 5 April 2019. Pittman is listed under the surname of his half-brothers.
- ^ "Samson Harrel", United States census, 1910; Mcgavock, Mississippi, Arkansas;. Retrieved on 5 April 2019. Pittman is listed under the surname of his stepfather.
- ^ "Samson Pitman", United States census, 1940; Ward 5, Detroit, Detroit City, Wayne, Michigan;. Retrieved on 5 April 2019. Pittman is listed as living in Blytheville, Arkansas in 1935. In "Welfare Blues", Pittman notes that he composed the song in December, 1936 in Detroit, suggesting that he had moved from near Blytheville between 1935–1936.
- ^ "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921–1952"
- ^ Gibbs, Craig Martin (7 June 2018). Field Recordings of Black Singers and Musicians: An Annotated Discography of Artists from West Africa, the Caribbean and the Eastern and Southern United States, 1901–1943. McFarland. pp. 279–280. ISBN 978-1476673387.
- ^ "Calvin Frazier & Sampson Pittman – I'm In The Highway Man (1938 Detroit Field Recording)". Discogs. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ a b "Devil Is Busy – Sampson Pittman – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 April 2019.