Memphis Piano Red Cow Cow Blues Nov 9th 1981 At Home In Memphis

Recorded By Michael Hortig Photo Taken By Michael Hortig John “Piano Red“ Williams aka Memphis Piano Red (April 16th 1904/1905 ?? - February 5th 1982) , was born an albino in Germantown, Tennessee, in 1904 or 1905 in a family with 11 children, six of whom played musical instruments. He learned how to play piano at the age of 13 from one of his sisters and was influenced by local Germantown piano blues players. In 1930 he moved to Memphis where he started his musical activity, playing often in Beale Street bars. He hoboed and rode freight trains for more than 25 years, visiting various states, developing a solid barrelhouse piano technique coupled with strong, heartfelt singing. Barrelhouse blues is a loud, percussive type of blues piano music that was originally designed to be heard in noisy bars or taverns. Red never had the chance to record 78 rpm race records, and was discovered in the late ’60s during the blues revival. He recorded sparingly, with scattered s