Died On This Date (June 5, 1977) Sleepy John Estes / Blues Legend
themusicsover Sleepy John Estes
January 25, 1899 – June 5, 1977
The son of a sharecropper, Sleepy John Estes began to perform while working as a field hand at the age of 19. He played guitar and sang at local picnics and parties around his neighborhood in Brownsville, TN. At 30, he entered the studio to record such sides as “Drop Down Mama” and “Someday Baby Blues” first on Victor Records and later Delmark, Decca and Bluebird. Not an exceptional guitarist, Estes was recognized for a great voice that was filled with the passion and pain he sang about. Big Bill Broonzy once referred to his style of singing as crying the blues. Estes virtually faded into obscurity mostly because of his reported death, but also because his voice sounded so much like an old man, many figured he was long dead by the time the ’60s blues revival rolled around. Thankfully the great Sam Charters and Bob Koester tracked him down and revived his career in 1962. He had become blind and was living in poverty. His set was one of the highlights at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival. Estes died of a stroke on June 5, 1977 at the age of 78, but not before leaving a lasting impression on the likes of Bob Dylan and Peter Case, who called his fantastic 2007 release, Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John.
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