Week 6: I´m Gonna Get High

Tampa Red (real name Hudson Whittaker, the nickname coming from his upbringing in Florida and his red hair) was a true stylist, further developing the bottleneck playing and becoming the most influential bottleneck stylist in blues music. In the mid 1920s he first gained success with partner Tom Dorsey as they invented hokum blues, light, peppy numbers with double-entrendre lyrics. Check out their hit “It´s Tight Like That” for a good example. When Tom got the Jesus fever in 1930, and thereafter only playing gospel, Tampa went on his own enjoying a string of hits in the 30s and 40s. When rock´n´roll began to move in Tampa retired in 1953, two years later his wife died and Tampa turned to the bottle for consolation.

10. I´m Gonna Get High – Tampa Red & The Chicago Five

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