Roosevelt Sykes
January 31, 1906 – July 17, 1983
Nicknamed “Honeydripper,” Roosevelt Sykes was a blues piano player that had a style as big as his frame. Beginning his career at the age of 15, Sykes quickly got crowds dancing to and cheering for his thundering style of boogie piano. Sykes began making records in the ’20s, and would record for such storied labels as Decca, Bluebird and Okeh Records. Spending much of his time on the road, Sykes tended to play for male audiences at work camps up and down the Mississippi River, which no doubt solidified his reputation for sexually explicit lyrics. In 1929, Sykes released what would become his signature song, “44 Blues.” It signaled the beginning of a more sophisticated period of his career. Sykes eventually settled in New Orleans where he passed away on July 17, 1983.
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