Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup

"Big Boy" Crudup was born on 24 August 1905, Forest, Mississippi, USA and died on 28 March 1974, Nassawadox, Virginia, USA. During the 40s and early 50s Arthur Crudup was an important name in the blues field, his records selling particularly well in the south. For much of his early life Crudup worked in various rural occupations, not learning to play the guitar until he was 32. His teacher was one "Papa Harvey", a local bluesman, and although Crudup's guitar style never became adventurous, it formed an effective backdrop for his high, expressive voice.

He began playing the blues for parties in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1939, but Crudup moved to Chicago in the hopes of making a better living. For awhile he played street corners in Chicago, but what he earned was not enough to live on. He lived in a packing crate underneath an elevated train track until he was found by blues producer Lester Melrose. Allegedly, Crudup was playing on the sidewalk in Chicago when he was spotted by the music publisher and general "Mr Fixit" for the blues in the Windy City.  Crudup was hired to play at a party at Tampa Red's house in 1941, and as a result of that night, was signed to record for RCA/Bluebird . "If I Get Lucky" and "Black Pony Blues" were recorded in September 1941 and probably sold largely to the same group of resident and ex-patriot southerners who were buying records by Tommy McClennan and Sleepy John Estes.

 However, the relationship with Melrose deteriorated after Crudup found out that he was not being paid royalties for the songs he wrote in 1947. By this time Crudup had become an innovator because his sound was his own. He returned to Mississippi after his falling out with Melrose and ran a successful bootlegging business. He did continue to record with RCA in the late 1940's and 50's, and he also toured with Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) and Elmore James.

Crudup did not limit himself to one musical style. His hits include R & B, Electric Delta Blues, and Delta Blues. He played the guitar, harmonica, and did vocals.  "Big Boy" Crudup wrote other blues classics which were song by famous artists such as B. B. King, Big Mama Thornton, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and Elvis Presley. Three of Crudup's songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, but Crudup is best known as the writer of "That's All Right, Mama," which was the first song Presley recorded in 1954.

In addition to his own vocals, he cut trumpet singles using the names Elmer James and Percy Lee Crudup. By the mid 1950's Crudup had all but quit the music business because he was angry at constantly being cheated out of money which was due him. He gradually withdrew from the blues scene and began working as a laborer. Later, he made a comeback with an album for Bobby Robinson and did some recording on Delmark and Liberty labels. He did a tour of England in 1969, toured Australia in 1972 and played in blues revival concerts like the Newport Jazz Festival.

Only one film ever used Crudup as a musician and that was Out of the Black, Into the Blue. A film documentary of his life was made in 1973. Crudup contined singing the blues until his death in March of 1974.