Neal Pattman
Encyclopedia
Neal Pattman was an American
electric blues
harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Sometimes billed as Big Daddy Pattman, he is best known for his self-penned tracks, "Prison Blues" and "Goin' Back To Georgia". In the latter, and most notable stages of his long career, Pattman worked with Cootie Stark
, Taj Mahal
, Dave Peabody
, Jimmy Rip, Kenny Wayne Shepherd
, Guitar Gabriel
, and Lee Konitz
.
, United States
, one of fourteen children. He learned harmonica playing from his father, after an accident involving a wagon wheel at the age of nine left him with only his left arm. Inspired by Sonny Terry
's playing and distinctive whoops and hollers, Pattman played on the street corners of nearby Athens, Georgia
. He found regular employment in the University of Georgia
's kitchens, and gained further experience and local adoration for his regular live performances at various clubs
and festivals
. However, his more general renown was minimal until 1989, when he performed at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
in New York
.
A meeting in 1991 with Tim Duffy, of the Music Maker Relief Foundation
, led to Pattman playing with Cootie Stark
, supporting Taj Mahal
, on a nationwide Blues Revival Tour. Playing with the British
blues guitarist, Dave Peabody
, led to Pattman releasing three album
s between 1995 and 2001. He also contributed to Kenny Wayne Shepherd
's album and DVD
, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads (2007).
However, Pattman had already died of bone cancer
in May 2005, in Athens, Georgia
, aged 79.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
electric blues
Electric blues
Electric blues is a type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and often the harmonica. Pioneered in the 1930s, it emerged as a genre in Chicago in the 1940s. It was taken up in many areas of America leading to the development of regional subgenres...
harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Sometimes billed as Big Daddy Pattman, he is best known for his self-penned tracks, "Prison Blues" and "Goin' Back To Georgia". In the latter, and most notable stages of his long career, Pattman worked with Cootie Stark
Cootie Stark
Cootie Stark was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His best remembered recordings were "Metal Bottoms" and "Sandyland." Stark was known as the 'King of the Piedmont blues.'-Biography:...
, Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
, Dave Peabody
Dave Peabody
Dave Peabody is an English singer-songwriter, blues and folk musician, record producer and photographer, active since the late 1960s, who has appeared on more than 60 albums...
, Jimmy Rip, Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced a rare level of commercial success both as a blues artist and a young musician.-Biography:Shepherd graduated Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana...
, Guitar Gabriel
Guitar Gabriel
Robert Lewis Jones , known as both Guitar Gabriel and Nyles Jones, was an American blues Musician. Gabriel's unique style of guitar playing, which he referred to as "Toot Blues", combined Piedmont, Chicago, and Texas blues, as well as gospel, and was influenced by artists such as Blind Boy Fuller...
, and Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
.
Biography
Pattman was born in Madison County, GeorgiaMadison County, Georgia
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 5, 1811. As of 2000, the population was 25,730. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 28,012. The county seat is Danielsville....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, one of fourteen children. He learned harmonica playing from his father, after an accident involving a wagon wheel at the age of nine left him with only his left arm. Inspired by Sonny Terry
Sonny Terry
Saunders Terrell, better known as Sonny Terry was a blind American Piedmont blues musician. He was widely known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers, and imitations of trains and fox hunts.-Career:Terry was born in Greensboro, Georgia...
's playing and distinctive whoops and hollers, Pattman played on the street corners of nearby Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
. He found regular employment in the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
's kitchens, and gained further experience and local adoration for his regular live performances at various clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
and festivals
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
. However, his more general renown was minimal until 1989, when he performed at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
A meeting in 1991 with Tim Duffy, of the Music Maker Relief Foundation
Music Maker (label)
Music Maker Relief Foundation is an American non-profit record label, based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Music Maker Relief Foundation was founded in 1994 by Tim and Denise Duffy to "help the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music gain recognition and meet their day to day needs...
, led to Pattman playing with Cootie Stark
Cootie Stark
Cootie Stark was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His best remembered recordings were "Metal Bottoms" and "Sandyland." Stark was known as the 'King of the Piedmont blues.'-Biography:...
, supporting Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
, on a nationwide Blues Revival Tour. Playing with the British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
blues guitarist, Dave Peabody
Dave Peabody
Dave Peabody is an English singer-songwriter, blues and folk musician, record producer and photographer, active since the late 1960s, who has appeared on more than 60 albums...
, led to Pattman releasing three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s between 1995 and 2001. He also contributed to Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced a rare level of commercial success both as a blues artist and a young musician.-Biography:Shepherd graduated Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana...
's album and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads (2007).
However, Pattman had already died of bone cancer
Bone tumor
A bone tumor refers to a neoplastic growth of tissue in bone. Abnormal growths found in the bone can be either benign or malignant .-Classification:...
in May 2005, in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, aged 79.
Discography
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Blues Ain't Left Yet | Global Village Records |
| 1999 | Prison Blues | Music Maker Music Maker (label) Music Maker Relief Foundation is an American non-profit record label, based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Music Maker Relief Foundation was founded in 1994 by Tim and Denise Duffy to "help the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music gain recognition and meet their day to day needs... |
| 2001 | It Seemed Like a Dream | Bent Notes Records |