Henry Roosevelt Pressley
Encyclopedia
Henry Roosevelt Pressley, Sr. (1945–2005) was an African American
blues
and soul
instrumentalist from Edgefield County, South Carolina.
He was born in the post-Depression era and prohibition
, during the onset of World War II
, and prior to the recognized inception of the American Civil Rights movement
. Pressley was partially named for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt with respect to the many social ideals and projects Roosevelt promoted to improve the status of citizenship, quality of life, and social/racial rights and justice for blacks.
Henry Roosevelt Pressley, Sr. taught himself to play the guitar
as an adolescent, watching other community and family musicians. As he developed, he also learned to play the organ and piano, bass guitar, and drums. He played around with the violin from time to time. Pressley had a great affinity for the tonal resonance of the saxophone
. He played early blues rhythms (5 and 7 bar blues), including slide guitar sounds with his father Mack Pressley Sr. and brother Mack Pressley Jr. As the African American South in the 1940s and 1950s was heavily grounded by the presence of the church, Pressley naturally began to play back-up for gospel music
, eventually playing back-up rhythm (bass and guitar) for some of the groups on a 1970s through 1980s Sunday morning television program called the Parade of Quartets, hosted by Henry Howard. He has been on many vinyl recordings and has even played back-up parts for James Brown, in his early days. He eventually formed his own soul band, The Mighty Soul Brothers, playing sounds similar to that of Sam Cooke, King Curtis, Otis Redding, and The O'Jays for local Supper Clubs and events. The group often played at Martin's Supper Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Henry Roosevelt Pressley, Sr. died July 6, 2005 at his home in North Augusta, South Carolina
at the age of 60. His wife, Johnnie Mae Lee Pressley, died on the same date in 2003.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
instrumentalist from Edgefield County, South Carolina.
He was born in the post-Depression era and prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, during the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and prior to the recognized inception of the American Civil Rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
. Pressley was partially named for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt with respect to the many social ideals and projects Roosevelt promoted to improve the status of citizenship, quality of life, and social/racial rights and justice for blacks.
Henry Roosevelt Pressley, Sr. taught himself to play the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
as an adolescent, watching other community and family musicians. As he developed, he also learned to play the organ and piano, bass guitar, and drums. He played around with the violin from time to time. Pressley had a great affinity for the tonal resonance of the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. He played early blues rhythms (5 and 7 bar blues), including slide guitar sounds with his father Mack Pressley Sr. and brother Mack Pressley Jr. As the African American South in the 1940s and 1950s was heavily grounded by the presence of the church, Pressley naturally began to play back-up for gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, eventually playing back-up rhythm (bass and guitar) for some of the groups on a 1970s through 1980s Sunday morning television program called the Parade of Quartets, hosted by Henry Howard. He has been on many vinyl recordings and has even played back-up parts for James Brown, in his early days. He eventually formed his own soul band, The Mighty Soul Brothers, playing sounds similar to that of Sam Cooke, King Curtis, Otis Redding, and The O'Jays for local Supper Clubs and events. The group often played at Martin's Supper Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Henry Roosevelt Pressley, Sr. died July 6, 2005 at his home in North Augusta, South Carolina
North Augusta, South Carolina
North Augusta is a city in Aiken County, South Carolina, United States, on the north bank of the Savannah River. The population was 21,348 at the 2010 census. The city is included in the Central Savannah River Area and is also part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.- History :North...
at the age of 60. His wife, Johnnie Mae Lee Pressley, died on the same date in 2003.