Perry Bradford

Perry Bradford

Perry Bradford (February 14, 1893, Montgomery, Alabama – April 20, 1970, New York City) was an African American composer, songwriter, and vaudeville performer. His most notable songs included "Crazy Blues," "That Thing Called Love," and "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down." He was nicknamed "Mule" because of his stubbornness, and he is credited with finally persuading Okeh Records to work with Mamie Smith leading to her historic blues recording in 1920.

Birth and Death Data: Born Montgomery (city in and county seat of Montgomery County, and capital of the State of Alabama, United States), Died April 20, 1970 (Queens (borough in New York City, New York, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1953

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, piano, vocalist, leader, songwriter, arranger, conductor, chimes

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

Recordings (Results 151-175 of 177 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Brunswick	E1580-E1582	10-in.	11/2/1925	Lucy Long	Perry Bradford’s Jazz Phools	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	leader, vocalist, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E1583-E1585	10-in.	11/2/1925	I ain't gonna play no second fiddle	Perry Bradford’s Jazz Phools	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	leader, vocalist, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E2318-E2319	10-in.	2/1/1926	I’m gonna shout all over God’s heaven	Perry Bradford ; Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E2320-E2321	10-in.	2/1/1926	We’ll be ready when the great day comes	Perry Bradford ; Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano, arranger
Brunswick	E2647-E2648	10-in.	3/16/1926	Lord, I done what you told me to do	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E2649-E2651	10-in.	3/16/1926	O dem golden slippers	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3039-E3041	10-in.	5/14/1926	Swing low, sweet chariot	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3042-E3043	10-in.	5/14/1926	I couldn’t hear nobody pray	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3044-E3045	10-in.	5/14/1926	Give me that old time religion	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano, arranger
Brunswick	E3046-E3047	10-in.	5/14/1926	In my heart	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano, arranger
Brunswick	E3066-E3067	10-in.	5/17/1926	Go down, Moses	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3068-E3070	10-in.	5/17/1926	Steal away to Jesus	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3105-E3108	10-in.	5/25/1926	Go down, Moses	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3109-E3112	10-in.	5/25/1926	Steal away to Jesus	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3113-E3115	10-in.	5/26/1926	I couldn’t hear nobody pray	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3116-E3118	10-in.	5/26/1926	Swing low, sweet chariot	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano, arranger
Brunswick	E3197-E3199	10-in.	6/8/1926	So's your old man (How'd you get that way)	Blackbirds of Harmony	Male vocal duet, with piano	vocalist, songwriter
Brunswick	E3200-E3202	10-in.	6/8/1926	Wasn’t it nice	Blackbirds of Harmony	Male vocal duet, with piano	vocalist
Brunswick	E3211-E3213	10-in.	6/9/1926	Swing low, sweet chariot	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano
Brunswick	E3267-E3270	10-in.	6/24/1926	Go down, Moses	Cotton Belt Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with organ and chimes	instrumentalist, chimes
Brunswick	E7232-E7233	10-in.	3/26/1928	What’s the use of being alone?	Johnny Dunn’s Original Jazz Hounds	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	E7234-E7235	10-in.	3/26/1928	Original bugle blues	Johnny Dunn’s Original Jazz Hounds	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	1434W-1436W	10-in.	10/7/1925	Lucy Long	Perry Bradford’s Jazz Phools	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	leader, vocalist, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	1437W-1439W	10-in.	10/7/1925	I ain't gonna play no second fiddle (If I can't play the lead)	Perry Bradford’s Jazz Phools	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	leader, vocalist, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	DAL572	10-in.	5/16/1938	Keep knocking (but you can't come in)	Texas Playboys ; Bob Wills	String band, with male vocal solo	songwriter

(Results 151-175 of 177 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bradford, Perry," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106081.

Bradford, Perry. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106081.

"Bradford, Perry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.

Wikidata: John Henry ‘Perry’ Bradford - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1797745

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/49431992

MusicBrainz: John Henry ‘Perry’ Bradford - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8c9524a0-edaa-4251-a1aa-bb81d5dad85e

Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/245807 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/245807

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Perry Bradford

Recordings (Results 151-175 of 177 records)

Citation

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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