Mississippi Fred McDowell

Biography

Mississippi Fred McDowell was born on January 12, 1904, in Rossville, Tennessee, into a family of farmers. Orphaned at a young age, McDowell began playing guitar by age 14, fashioning a slide from a steer bone and performing for tips at local dances. In his early twenties, he moved to Memphis, working at a feed mill and playing music on the streets, before settling in Como, Mississippi, around 1940, where he farmed and played music at local gatherings for decades. McDowell’s big break came in 1959 when folklorist Alan Lomax recorded him during a field trip, capturing his raw, emotive North Mississippi hill country blues style—distinct from the Delta blues tradition. These recordings, and later sessions with Arhoolie Records, propelled him to international fame in the 1960s, leading to festival appearances (including Newport Folk Festival in 1964), European tours, and a late-career embrace of electric guitar. Despite his late start as a professional musician, McDowell became a vital bridge between the original blues masters and the rock generation, remaining true to his roots until his death from cancer in 1972.

Fun Facts

• McDowell made his first recordings at age 55, after decades of playing locally, and became a full-time professional musician only in his sixties.
• He initially scorned electric guitars but, after trying one on a European tour, never returned to acoustic—a move that surprised blues purists.
• McDowell’s song 'You Gotta Move' earned him his first significant royalty check after The Rolling Stones covered it, which he remarked was the most money he had ever seen.
• Despite his nickname, McDowell’s style was rooted in the North Mississippi hill country, not the Delta, making him a distinctive voice in the blues tradition.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Charley Patton - Stylistic influence; McDowell’s music echoed Patton’s raw Delta blues approach (General repertoire) [1920s–1930s (indirect, through regional tradition)]
• Son House - Stylistic influence; shared vocal intensity and slide guitar techniques (General repertoire) [1920s–1930s (indirect, through regional tradition)]

Key Collaborators

• Alan Lomax - Field recordings; Lomax first recorded McDowell in 1959, introducing him to a wider audience (Southern Journey field recordings)
• Chris Strachwitz (Arhoolie Records) - Record producer and friend; recorded McDowell extensively, launching his international career (Multiple Arhoolie albums) [1960s]
• Mississippi John Hurt - Festival appearances; performed together at Newport Folk Festival (Newport Folk Festival 1964)
• Sleepy John Estes - Festival appearances; performed together at Newport Folk Festival (Newport Folk Festival 1964)
• Jo Ann Kelly - European tour partner; performed together in London (American Folk Blues Festival tours) [1960s]

Artists Influenced

• Bonnie Raitt - Slide guitar protege; Raitt learned bottleneck techniques directly from McDowell’s recordings and sought his guidance (Raitt’s early albums) [Late 1960s–1970s]
• The Rolling Stones - Covered McDowell’s song; recorded 'You Gotta Move' for their Sticky Fingers album, introducing his music to a rock audience (Sticky Fingers (1971)) [1969–1971]

Source: Wikipedia

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. You Gotta Move (You Gotta Move)
2. Shake 'Em on Down (Shake 'Em on Down)
3. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Good Morning Little School Girl)
4. Going Down to the River (Mama Says I'm Crazy)
5. Write Me a Few Lines (You Gotta Move)
6. Kokomo Blues (You Gotta Move)
7. You Got to Move (Steakbone Slide Guitar)
8. When You Get Home, Please Write Me a Few of Your Lines (Remastered Version) (Going Down to the River - Mississippi Fred McDowell 1959)
9. Louise (You Gotta Move)
10. What's the Matter Now? - Remastered (I'll Meet You On That Other Shore: Alan Lomax’s "Southern Journey," 1959–1960)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia