BLUES | BLUES MUSICIAN
Mississippi John Hurt Played Fingerpicking Guitar Blues That Were As Gentle As A Country Lullaby.
7 min readJan 23, 2024
He sang both gospel numbers and bawdy rags, all the while conveying a life-affirming serenity over a quietly thrumming guitar.
William Henry Carson, a local guitar player, frequently visited John's home. Back in the day, when Carson was catching some Z’s, a mischievous nine-year-old named John Hurt would tiptoe into the room where the guitar was stashed. With all the finesse of a secret agent, he would attempt to play some of Carson’s famous tunes, like the classic “Hop Joint.” It was the first song he ever learned and one that he would come back to time and time again, even years down the road.
At some point, John’s skills reached a level where even his own mother couldn’t tell the difference between his playing and William Carson’s. So, picture this: John’s mother, with all her resourcefulness, managed to scrounge up a whopping dollar and fifty…
