News & Updates — Skip James

One of the great icons, Skip James was one of the dark princes of the blues and his songs and guitar style was a huge influence on Robert Johnson. He came from the Mississippi Delta and recorded several sides for Paramount in '31 but they sold poorly during the Depression, yet upon discovery by a newer generation of blues fans leading up to the early '60s he became a legend. John Fahey, Henry Vestine and Bill Barth found James in a Mississippi hospital in '64. That same year he played the Newport Folk Festival which helped kick off the blues...