Hambone Willie Newbern
American singer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William "Hambone Willie" Newbern (c. 1901 – 1947 or April 15, 1965)[1] was an American country blues musician who was active from the 1920s to the 1940s.[2]
c. 1901
Hambone Willie Newbern | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Newbern c. 1901 |
| Died | April 15, 1965 (aged 63–64) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country blues |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1920s–1940s |
| Label | OKeh |
Biography
Few details are known of Newbern's life. He is believed to have been born in Haywood County, Tennessee,[1] in or around Brownsville, along Tennessee State Route 19.[3][4][5] A guitarist, singer, and mandolin player,[6][7] Newburn was reported to have played with Yank Rachell and Sleepy John Estes (who provided many biographical details about Newbern) in the 1920s and 1930s.[8] Newburn recorded one of the earliest known versions of the blues standard "Rollin' and Tumblin'", which was waxed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929.[9] He only recorded six sides in total, all for OKeh Records, which also included "She Could Toodle-Oo" and "Hambone Willie's Dreamy-Eyed Woman's Blues."[8]
Though Newbern was reputedly hot-tempered, reports that he was beaten to death in a prison brawl around 1947[8] are disputed by researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc, who assert that he died at his home in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1965.[1]
