Image Source: Wikipedia

Roosevelt Sykes

Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906 – July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "the Honeydripper".

Birth and Death Data: Born Arkansas, Died July 11, 1983 (New Orleans)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1952

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

Notes: Also known as Willie Kelly and as "The Honeydripper."

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

Recordings (Results 126-150 of 353 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D4AB-0346 10-in. 12/15/1944 Jiveing the jive Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with drums, electric guitar, and piano instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, composer  
Victor D4AB-0347 10-in. 12/15/1944 I wonder Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with drums, electric guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5AB-0312 10-in. 2/26/1945 Go back to the country Jazz Gillum Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5AB-0313 10-in. 2/26/1945 Five feet four Jazz Gillum Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5AB-0314 10-in. 2/26/1945 Afraid to trust them Jazz Gillum Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5AB-0315 10-in. 2/26/1945 Whiskey head buddies Jazz Gillum Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5AB-0342 10-in. 7/2/1945 I'm in this mess for you Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, composer  
Victor D5AB-0343 10-in. 7/2/1945 Don't push me around Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano, composer, vocalist  
Victor D5AB-0344 10-in. 7/2/1945 Little Sam Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, composer  
Victor D5AB-0345 10-in. 7/2/1945 Anytime is the right time Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, composer  
Victor D5AB-0386 10-in. 10/9/1945 The honeydripper Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet instrumentalist, piano, vocalist  
Victor D5AB-0387 10-in. 10/9/1945 Date bait Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, composer  
Victor D5AB-0388 10-in. 10/9/1945 High price blues Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, composer  
Victor D5AB-0389 10-in. 10/9/1945 Peeping Tom Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, composer  
Victor D5AB-0392 10-in. 10/18/1945 Mother's Day St. Louis Jimmy Oden Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5AB-0393 10-in. 10/18/1945 Trouble in the land St. Louis Jimmy Oden Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5AB-0394 10-in. 10/18/1945 Dog house blues St. Louis Jimmy Oden Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D5AB-0395 10-in. 10/18/1945 Make up your mind St. Louis Jimmy Oden Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6AB-1822 10-in. 2/18/1946 That's my gal Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6AB-1823 10-in. 2/18/1946 Tonight Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6AB-1824 10-in. 2/18/1946 Living in a different world Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6AB-1825 10-in. 2/18/1946 Sunny road Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor D6VB-1936 10-in. 8/23/1946 Flames of jive Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance septet vocalist, instrumentalist, piano, composer  
Victor D6VB-1937 10-in. 8/23/1946 Sneakin' and dodgein' Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance septet vocalist, instrumentalist, piano, composer  
Victor D7VB-0308 10-in. 2/5/1947 Bobby sox blues Original Honeydrippers ; Roosevelt Sykes Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 126-150 of 353 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sykes, Roosevelt," accessed December 12, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105974.

Sykes, Roosevelt. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 12, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105974.

"Sykes, Roosevelt." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 12 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105974

External Sources

Wikipedia: The Honeydripper

Discogs: Roosevelt Sykes

Allmusic: Roosevelt Sykes

Grove: Roosevelt Sykes

IMDb: Roosevelt Sykes

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Sykes, Roosevelt - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88613448

Wikidata: The Honeydripper - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q322236

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/74038954

MusicBrainz: The Honeydripper - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/cacfff98-7a13-4a02-95ed-c3ba32306ab9

Fast: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/224281 - http://id.worldcat.org/fast/224281

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

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