Blue Monday -- Sleepy John Estes

I was stage manager for the very first Beale Street Music Festival, produced in 1977 by Memphis attorney Irvin Salky.  I helped a blind country bluesman up the stairs to the stage for his set by holding his hand, one of a pair of the hugest hands I've ever seen.  They belonged to Sleepy John Estes.

John was as authentic a country bluesman as any who ever lived and made many records, several of which became classics.  John's music came in three main flavors: with guitar-only accompaniment; with Hammie Nixon on harmonica; and with Yank Rachell on mandolin.  There's a second guitar on some of the records.  A piano player is listed for some of the earliest records, although I never much hear him; and a kazoo gets snuck in on a few.

Here's John with Yank on stage in 1966 doing "Mailman Blues":



Here's John with Hammie in 1976 doing "Ain't Gonna Sell It":



Three weeks after I helped John up on stage in Memphis, he died. That performance turned out to be his last.

There are a lot of John's original recordings you can hear free at last.fm.  Enjoy.