In the world of iconic blues artists Eddie James "Son" House rises to the top of the list. Son house was born on March 21,1902 in Lyons Mississippi. His father, Eddie House Sr. played the tuba and guitar as well. Son House grew up around the church and religious music was a huge part of his entire life. In his early years house has been quoted as saying he was entirely fine with playing only religious music and nothing else.
When he was age 7 his mother separated from his father and took young Eddie to Louisiana. He spent much of his time in the Delta and took on farming jobs. He is quoted as saying he was 25 when he heard two of his friends playing bottleneck slide guitar and he had an immediate change of life. Son house instantly knew that sound was his calling and he forever dedicated his life to the blues and particularly bottleneck slide guitar.
House ultimately combined his love of religious music and its extreme vocal technique with his own personal spin on playing the slide to come up with a unique style that has gone on to influence everyone and anyone who has picked up a slide. From Robert Johnson to Duane Allman, they have all been influenced by the man.
Son house spent some time in the Mississippi's in Parchman Farm Penitentiary for killing a man in self-defense. Previous to this time house had become friends with the great Charlie Patton who was a very strong influence on all of the Delta players. When he was released from Parchman Farm, House reconnected with Patton who had just been asked to record for Paramount Records. Patton brought House along with him to the recording sessions. Those recorded sessions led to Alan Lomax coming to the Delta in 1941 and 1942 to make recordings of House for the Library of Congress.
After this time House became frustrated with the state of music and making a living with it, and took on various side jobs to pay the bills. In 1964 Dick Waterman and others rediscovered Son House and made him aware that the 60's Folk Blues revival was taking place and Son House' classic recordings were being sought out by lovers of the music. He came out of retirement to play for large audiences at the Newport Folk Festival and tours of Europe as well.
In 1970 House returned to Europe and even made an appearance at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival. As the 1970s dawned and the Folk Blues revival slowed down somewhat, Son House once again retired from music and moved to Detroit, Michigan working various jobs outside of music to once again pay the bills. He remained in Detroit until he passed away on October 19, 1988 from cancer of the larynx.
Son house will always be remembered for his extremely influential style and iconic playing that has gone on to influence generation after generation of artists. He was occasionally known to be hard to work with, had a temper and could be very stubborn at times, but that simply stemmed from the fact that he loved the blues and felt that true blues was played while it was always rooted in the Delta. He often spoke about "so called" blues which he often said was dangerous and not healthy for the Blues as an art form as people eventually would forget where it started and that it's true roots were in the Delta.
A thousand years from now when artists go to study the history of the blues, particularly bottleneck slide guitar rooted in the Delta, you can rest assured that Son House will be at the top of that list. Thanks for the music and rest in peace Eddie James "Son" House March 21, 1902 - October 19, 1988.
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