Bill Gaither (blues musician)

Bill Gaither
Birth name William Arthur Gaither
Also known as "Little Bill" Gaither
Leroy's Buddy
Born (1910-04-21)April 21, 1910
Belmont, Bullitt County, Kentucky, U.S.
Died October 30, 1970(1970-10-30) (aged 60)
Indianapolis, U.S.
Genres Blues
Years active 1920s-1940s
Labels Various

William Arthur "Bill" Gaither (April 21, 1910 – October 30, 1970),[1][2] sometimes known as "Little Bill" Gaither or Leroy's Buddy,[3] was an American blues guitarist and singer.

Biography

Born in Belmont, Bullitt County, Kentucky,[1] Gaither recorded over one hundred songs in the 1930s for labels such as Decca and Okeh.[4] He often wrote and recorded with the pianist George "Honey" Hill. After his friend Leroy Carr's death in 1935, Gaither was often credited as "Leroy's Buddy".[5]

One of Gaither's most famous blues songs was "Champ Joe Louis", recorded on June 23, 1938,[6] the day after Louis won his rematch against Max Schmeling. Ethnomusicologists have cited Gaither among a group of important, but understudied, 20th century musicians.[7] His blues lyrics have been appreciated as poetry.[8]

Gaither ran a radio repair shop in Louisville, Kentucky, for some time.[1] He died in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1970,[1] and is buried in New Crown Cemetery in Indianapolis.[5]

He is not to be confused with another musician, William Augustus "Bill" Gaither (1927–1985), who recorded with Roy Milton.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 146. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  2. ↑ "Bill "Little Bill" Gaither", FindaGrave.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016
  3. ↑ e.g., Decca 7818: Racket Blues / Wintertime Blues
  4. ↑ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues - From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. p. 113. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  5. 1 2 Steve Leggett (1910-04-21). "Bill Gaither | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  6. ↑ "WAIL! The CBZ Journal (Apr 2001)". Cyberboxingzone.com. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  7. ↑ "Blues Research: Problems and Possibilities" Paul Oliver, Journal of Musicology Vol. 2 No. 4 (Autumn, 1983), pp. 377-390
  8. ↑ Perfect in Their Art: Poems on Boxing from Homer to Ali Michael Waters, Robert Hedin, editors. ISBN 0-8093-2531-4. Southern Illinois Univ. Press. 2003. p. 47
  9. ↑ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 411. ISBN 978-0313344237.
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