Jug band pioneer Gus Cannon, a seminal figure in Memphis blues, was born in Red Banks, Mississippi, in either 1883, 1884, or 1885, according to various sources. Cannon’s primary instrument was the banjo, and he made his first recordings under the name ‘Banjo Joe’ in 1927. Already in his forties at the time, he played songs that harked back to earlier black folk and minstrel tunes as well as blues, which was then a relatively more modern style. His most famous records were as the leader of Cannon’s Jug Stompers, a group that featured harmonica virtuoso Noah Lewis and guitarists Hosea Woods, Ashley Thompson, or Elijah Avery, with Cannon on banjo, jug, and vocals. The band’s 1928-30 recordings for the Victor label not only established them as important artists of the era but also had an impact decades later when folk and rock acts began to revive elements of the jug band style and repertoire. The Grateful Dead recorded Cannon’s ‘Viola Lee Blues,’ among others, and the Lovin’ Spoonful transformed his ‘Prison Wall Blues’ into ‘Younger Girl,’ but the most famous of all was the Rooftop Singers’ cover of ‘Walk Right In,’ which hit the pop charts in 1963. The renewed attention enabled Cannon to record an album for the fledgling Stax label in Memphis, but his advanced age prevented Cannon from enjoying many fruits of the blues revival. He died in Memphis on Oct. 15, 1979.
