RE: [Harp-L] Snooky Pryor

["steve" <mudharp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

It's a shame that when Snooky died and Tom made the post there was only 1 or 2 replies, literally, on harpL.   Are the younger guys even schooled on the legends of this instrument?    Snooky wasn't a technical genius, but his status as one of the top Chicago and country bluesmen was undeniable. 

 A very recommended CD is "The Big Bear Sessions" with Homesick James, almost all the harp work is on the 2nd CD.   I can't find the CD cover, but there's a song on there that is IMHO the most haunting harp/slide combo you will ever hear, period.  Man, it is some deep stuff and you'll know it when you hear it. 

A little story about Snooky.
I live in Southern California and my wife used to work in Costa Mesa for a shipping line.  There was a short 50 something black lady, Tina McCool, and my wife introduced me to her because she sings the blues and was a back up singer for Marvin Gaye, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner and many others, but worked a day job...go figure.  
Well, I was telling her about some of my favorite blues folks and when I said Snooky she said, "I know Snooky.  Yes, when I was a little girl outside of Detroit all the big blues men like Muddy, Hooker, Nighthawk etc would stop by at my daddy's place and he'd have these big ole barbeques.  He was a guitar player you know.  Well, I was about 7 and Snooky would pick me up and put me on top of the piano and I'd sing  while he played the harmonica.  Yes, I remember singing 'When The Saints Go Marchin' In.  He was the nicest of the musicians that would come over to my daddy's place."  
I told her I had Earl's address and she can get in touch with Snooky and she about died right there.  As bad luck would have it before I got around to getting her the address she quit working due to getting remarried and nobody has seen her since.  I wish I knew her maiden name because her pop might have been someone we all know and the fact that I mentioned it to Snooky, but he couldn't remember that some 50+ years ago.

RIP means 'Rippin' In Peace' and he's doing that on transparent gold sidewalks.

steve
www.thunderharpmics.com 

 --- On Sun 11/12, Michael Rubin < rubinmichael@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > wrote:
From: Michael Rubin [mailto: rubinmichael@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2006 10:06:46 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Harp-L] Snooky Pryor

I saw Snooky many times.  He always dressed super sharp and sang and played great.  Paul Orta, a great player in his own right who used to live in my city, Austin (I think Paul's in Europe) told me Snooky was his favorite harp player.  Somewhere I have heard that Snooky claimed to play thru a mic and amp long before Walter.<br>  RIP<br>  Michael Rubin<br>  Michaelrubinharmonica.com<br>_______________________________________________<br>Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org<br>Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx<br>http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l<br>

_______________________________________________
Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com
The most personalized portal on the Web!