Ransom Knowling
Ransom Knowling (June 24, 1912 – October 22, 1967) was an American rhythm and blues musician, best known for playing bass on many blues recordings made in Chicago between the 1930s and 1950s, including those of Arthur Crudup and Little Brother Montgomery. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and began playing professionally around 1930 in the New Orleans bands led by Sidney Desvigne and Joe Robichaux. As well as bass, he played violin and tuba. By the late 1930s, he had moved to Chicago, and played on many of the blues records made in the city, including those by the Harlem Hamfats, Big Bill Broonzy, Roosevelt Sykes, Elmore James, Washboard Sam, Jazz Gillum, Sonny Boy Williamson I, T-Bone Walker, Roosevelt Sykes, Tommy McClennan, Lil Green, Doctor Clayton, Tampa Red and Muddy Waters. He played on Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right", recorded in 1946. He died in Chicago in 1967, aged 55. In 2014 the Killer Blues Headstone Project placed a headstone for Ransom Knowling at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. |
Birth and Death Data: Born New Orleans (largest city of the state of Louisiana, United States), Died October 22, 1967 (Chicago (city and county seat of Cook County, and largest city in State of Illinois, United States of America) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1955
Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass, tuba
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 405 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-034782 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | You say it's love | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034783 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Bessemer blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034784 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Please don't throw me down | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034785 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Sad letter blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034786 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Booze head woman | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034787 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | If I had known | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034788 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | You got to give me some | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034789 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Poor old gal blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034790 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | No good woman blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034791 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Nobody knows how bad I feel | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034792 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | This time is my time | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034793 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Booker T blues | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034794 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Good old Easy Street | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034795 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | I believe I'll make a change | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034796 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Wasn't he bad | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034797 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | Diggin' my potatoes | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034798 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | I love my baby | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-034799 | 10-in. | 5/15/1939 | That will get it | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-059150 | 10-in. | 1/22/1941 | Give your mama one smile | Lil Green Trio | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-059151 | 10-in. | 1/22/1941 | My mellow man | Lil Green Trio | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-059152 | 10-in. | 1/22/1941 | Knockin' myself out | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-059153 | 10-in. | 1/22/1941 | I won't sell my love | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-064130 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | Why don't you do it right? | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-064131 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | Love me | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | BS-064132 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | I'm going to copyright your kisses | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, string bass |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Knowling, Ransom," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105976.
Knowling, Ransom. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105976.
"Knowling, Ransom." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Knowling, Ransom - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88613451
Wikidata: Ransom Knowling - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1703791
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/46946900
MusicBrainz: Ransom Knowling - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/7bedf65b-2f37-414a-9636-2a100537a296
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