Died On This Date (October 15, 1979) Gus Cannon / Early Blues Great
themusicsover Gus Cannon
September 12, 1883 – October 15, 1979
A self-taught musician whose first banjo was made of a frying pan and raccoon skin, Gus Cannon was one of the first popular jug band artists of the ’20s. He was so talented, he reportedly could play the banjo AND the jug at the same time. By 1914, he had his own band, Cannon’s Jug Stompers and was touring with medicine shows. He made his first recordings for Paramount Records in 1927, with Blind Blake providing back up. His most famous song of that era was perhaps, “Walk Right In,” which was made into a hit by the Rooftop Singers in 1962. Although his records were well received and he was growing in popularity outside of his later home of Memphis, Cannon stopped recording in 1930. He and his band, however, continued to be one of he biggest draws along Beale Street. Cannon was all but retired by the late ’30s, but made a comeback in time for the blues and folk revival of the early ’60s. During this later part of his career, he toured coffeehouses with Bukka White and Furry Lewis. He also made a couple of albums for Folkways and Stax. Gus Cannon continued making guest appearances – occasionally in a wheelchair – right up until his death at the age of 96.
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