Clifford Gibson

Clifford "Grandpappy" Gibson (April 17, 1901 – December 21, 1963) was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is best known for the tracks, "Bad Luck Dice" and "Hard Headed Blues".

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1920s and lived there for the rest of his life. He played in St. Louis clubs, and in 1929 began recording for the QRS and Victor labels. He is regarded as one of the earliest urban blues performers, with no pronounced rural influences. His guitar playing style resembled that of Lonnie Johnson, with an emphasis on vibrato and improvisation. His playing could be distinguished from Johnson's by a sharper tone resulting from the use of a capo high up the neck, and his use of open tunings. Among the many themes touched on in his songs, "Don't Put That Thing on Me" is notable for its references to hoodoo, an African American form of folk magic.

Gibson accompanied Jimmie Rodgers on a Victor single, "Let Me Be Your Side Track", in 1931, then spent parts of the next three decades playing in the streets around St. Louis. Gibson resurfaced on recordings in 1960 on Little Milton's Bobbin label, and worked another three years in St. Louis' Gaslight Square, before his death from pulmonary edema in 1963.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 17, 1901 (Louisville), Died December 21, 1963

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1931

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, composer

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-57173 10-in. 11/26/1929 Ice and snow blues Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57174 10-in. 11/26/1929 Don't put that thing on me Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-57175 10-in. 11/26/1929 Drayman blues Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57176 10-in. 11/26/1929 Old time rider Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-57753 10-in. 12/10/1929 Bad luck dice Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57754 10-in. 12/10/1929 Levee camp moan Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57755 10-in. 12/10/1929 Hard-headed blues Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57756 10-in. 12/10/1929 Blues without a dime Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57757 10-in. 12/10/1929 Keep your windows pinned Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57758 10-in. 12/10/1929 Jive me blues Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57759 10-in. 12/10/1929 Brooklyn blues Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-57760 10-in. 12/10/1929 Society blues Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-69404 10-in. 6/9/1931 Hard luck man blues Willie Kelly Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-69405 10-in. 6/9/1931 She rolls it slow Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer  
Victor BVE-69406 10-in. 6/9/1931 Railroad man blues Clifford Gibson Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-69424 10-in. 6/11/1931 Let me be your side track Jimmie Rodgers Male vocal solo, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-69440 10-in. 6/15/1931 Quarter splow blues Jimmy Strange Male vocal solo, with violin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BVE-69442 10-in. 6/15/1931 No limit blues Jimmy Strange Male vocal solo, with violin and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gibson, Clifford," accessed April 17, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/203680.

Gibson, Clifford. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/203680.

"Gibson, Clifford." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 17 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/203680

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