Speckled Red

Rufus George Perryman (October 23, 1892 – January 2, 1973), known as Speckled Red, was an American blues and boogie-woogie piano player and singer noted for his recordings of "The Dirty Dozens", exchanges of insults and vulgar remarks that have long been a part of African-American folklore.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 23, 1892 (Monroe), Died January 2, 1973 (St. Louis)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, composer, lyricist, piano

Notes: Name used by Rufus Perryman.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 28 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-030838 10-in. 12/19/1938 Welfare blues Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, composer  
Victor BS-030839 10-in. 12/19/1938 Down on the levee Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, composer  
Victor BS-030840 10-in. 12/19/1938 Do the Georgia Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with guitar, mandolin, and piano vocalist, composer  
Victor BS-030841 10-in. 12/19/1938 Early in the mornin' Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with guitar, mandolin, and piano vocalist, composer  
Victor BS-030842 10-in. 12/19/1938 Take it easy Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with guitar, mandolin, and piano vocalist, composer  
Victor BS-030843 10-in. 12/19/1938 Try me one more time Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with guitar, mandolin, and piano vocalist, composer  
Victor BS-030844 10-in. 12/19/1938 Louise Baltimore blues Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with guitar, mandolin, and piano vocalist, composer  
Victor BS-030845 10-in. 12/19/1938 What makes you treat me mean? Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with guitar, mandolin, and piano vocalist, composer  
Victor BS-030846 10-in. 12/19/1938 St. Louis stomp Speckled Red Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Victor BS-030847 10-in. 12/19/1938 You got to fix it Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, mandolin, and piano vocalist, composer  
OKeh W403749 10-in. 2/7/1930 The dirty dozen Lonnie Johnson ; Clarence Williams Male vocal duet, with piano composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C5075 10-in. 1/2/1930 The dirty dozen Scrapper Blackwell ; Leroy Carr Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C5584½ 10-in. 4/8/1930 The dirty dozen no. 2 Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Brunswick C5585½ 10-in. 4/8/1930 We got to get that thing fixed Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Brunswick C5588 10-in. 4/8/1930 Speckled Red’s blues Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Brunswick C5589 10-in. 4/8/1930 The dirty dozen no. 3 Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Brunswick C5590 10-in. 4/8/1930 The right string—but the wrong yo yo Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Brunswick C5591 10-in. 4/8/1930 Lonesome mind blues Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Brunswick C5894 10-in. 7/1/1930 New dirty dozen Memphis Minnie Female vocal solo, with 2 guitars composer  
Brunswick M183 10-in. 9/22/1929 Shake your can Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano composer, vocalist  
Brunswick M184 10-in. 9/22/1929 House dance blues Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano composer, vocalist  
Brunswick M187 10-in. Sept. 1929 The dirty dozen Speckled Red Male vocal solo, with piano instrumentalist, piano, composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Brunswick M188 10-in. Sept. 1929 Wilkins Street stomp Speckled Red Piano solo composer, vocalist  
Brunswick M203 10-in. 9/24/1929 Jim Jackson’s jamboree Jim Jackson Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble and talking instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick M204 10-in. 9/24/1929 Jim Jackson’s jamboree Georgia Tom ; Jim Jackson ; Speckled Red ; Tampa Red Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble and talking instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 1-25 of 28 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Speckled Red," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105568.

Speckled Red. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105568.

"Speckled Red." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105568

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