Talk with Son House

Son House, born Eddie James House, Jr. on March 21, 1902, in Riverton, Mississippi, was a seminal American blues singer and guitarist whose career spanned much of the early 20th century. He is a seminal figure in the development of Delta blues music, known particularly for his raw, emotional singing style and his powerful, highly rhythmic guitar playing.

House's music career began in the 1920s after he encountered celebrated blues figures like Charley Patton and Willie Brown. Despite initially being a preacher and showing some opposition to blues due to its secular nature, House eventually embraced the genre and became one of its most passionate and influential exponents.

His recording career started in the early 1930s when he recorded for Paramount and later for Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress in the 1940s. Unfortunately, his early recordings did not gain much attention at the time, and by the late 1940s, House had drifted away from professional performance.

However, Son House was rediscovered during the blues revival of the 1960s. His performances from this period brought him new fame and recognition, particularly among American and European audiences. Songs like "Death Letter", "Preachin' Blues", and "Grinnin' in Your Face" are among his best-known works and capture the emotional depth and intensity of his music.

Son House's influence is extensive, impacting a wide array of musicians across various genres, particularly in blues and rock. He passed away on October 19, 1988, but his legacy endures through his profound influence on the blues genre and the continuing appreciation of his music.

Son House was a seminal figure in the development of the Delta blues genre, known for his highly emotional style of singing and powerful slide guitar technique. His music deeply influenced the Delta blues tradition and shaped the evolution of blues music as a whole.

1. Vocal Intensity and Emotional Depth: Son House's singing was marked by raw emotional power which conveyed the hardships and soul of the blues. His ability to convey emotion through his voice was one of his most influential contributions to the genre, setting a standard for expressiveness that is still emulated by blues musicians today.

2. Slide Guitar Technique: Son House was a master of slide guitar, using a piece of metal or glass to create a distinctive sound that became a hallmark of Delta blues music. His slide guitar playing was not only technically impressive but also evocative, adding a layer of emotion to his performances that was profoundly influential on later musicians.

3. Lyricism and Themes: His lyrics often dealt with themes of pain, struggle, and redemption, reflecting the harsh realities of life in the Mississippi Delta. This authentic lyrical approach influenced many other artists to explore similar themes in their music, further shaping the narrative style of the blues.

4. Influence on Future Generations: Son House mentored and influenced several key figures in blues music, including Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf. Johnson, in particular, is often cited as the most important blues musician of all time, and his direct tutelage under House is a testament to House's impact. These musicians carried forward his stylistic elements and helped popularize the Delta blues sound across the United States and eventually worldwide.

Through these contributions, Son House helped to forge and shape the sound and emotional appeal of the Delta blues, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to resonate within the blues community and beyond. His work paved the way for the future exploration and innovation in blues and other music genres like rock and folk.

Religion played a significant and complex role in both the music and life of Son House. Born in 1902 in Riverton, Mississippi, Son House grew up in a religious environment; his father was a Baptist pastor. Early on, he was immersed in the spiritual and musical traditions of the church, an influence that deeply permeated his vocal and lyrical style.

Initially, Son House was a preacher himself and was very much opposed to the blues, which he viewed as the "devil's music." His sermons and early public pronouncements reflected his belief that blues music was sinful and in direct conflict with his religious beliefs. However, despite this aversion, Son House was drawn to the blues, which he began to perform in his twenties. This marked a significant transition in his life, shifting from pure gospel music to a style deeply infused with personal struggles, spiritual conflicts, and raw emotion.

His music often grappled with themes of sin, redemption, and the conflict between his religious beliefs and the harsh realities of life, which were a significant aspect of the blues narrative. Songs like "Preachin' Blues" vividly illustrate this tension; in it, he sang about his internal struggle with his identity as a preacher who also plays the blues.

Throughout his career, the influence of his religious upbringing continued to echo in his music, allowing him to convey a deep sense of emotion and spirituality, even when his lyrics ventured into more secular themes. This blend of spiritual intensity and the secular context of the blues helped define his unique contribution to the genre, making his music resonate with a profound sense of existential questioning and emotional depth.

Son House's guitar technique had a profound impact on modern blues music, largely through his intense, emotionally charged style and innovative slide guitar skills. His approach combined raw expressive power and a deep rhythmic sense, which helped shape the Delta blues sound that would heavily influence later blues, rock, and folk musicians.

1. Slide Guitar Technique: Son House was renowned for his skill with the slide (often using a piece of metal or glass along the guitar strings), which allowed him to create a haunting, wailing sound that became a hallmark of Delta blues. This method added a vocal-like expressiveness to his music, influencing guitarists across various music genres.

2. Rhythmic Intensity: House’s playing was often characterized by its strong, repetitive rhythms that mimicked the human heartbeat, a style that was both primal and gripping. This emphasis on rhythm and beat can be seen in the work of later blues artists and rock musicians who cite the blues as a foundational influence.

3. Raw Emotional Delivery: His raw and powerful vocal delivery, often synchronized with his equally expressive guitar playing, helped set a standard for the emotional depth that blues music could convey. This emotional intensity is something that would carry over into the broader realm of rock and roll.

4. Influence on Notable Musicians: His influence can be directly seen in the work of artists like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf. Later, musicians such as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Bonnie Raitt have acknowledged House's influence on their guitar style and musical sensibility.

Overall, Son House's contribution to blues through his guitar technique essentially helped lay the groundwork for the transition from Delta blues to the electric blues styles that would dominate in the mid-20th century, and influenced a myriad of other music domains.

Son House's influence on later rock musicians is profound and far-reaching, primarily for his raw, emotional style of blues singing and powerful slide guitar technique. His music helped lay the foundation for the emotional intensity and authentic expression that became hallmarks of rock music.

One of the most direct influences of Son House was on the blues rock genre, a fusion of rock and blues that emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Artists such as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix were significantly influenced by the style and substance of House's music. Clapton, in particular, has often spoken about the impact that early Delta blues, including that of Son House, had on his music career.

The connection between Son House's expressive vocal style and his visceral slide guitar work can also be seen in rock music's emphasis on personal expression and emotional depth. The way House conveyed feelings of pain, sorrow, and redemption in his music resonated with rock musicians, who sought to express similar emotional intensity in their work.

Moreover, Son House's return to the public eye in the 1960s, after being "rediscovered" by blues enthusiasts during the folk revival, also spotlighted his music for a new generation of musicians. His performances at this time, including at folk festivals and in recorded sessions, helped new audiences and budding musicians appreciate the roots of American music forms, including rock.

Overall, Son House's career not only influenced individual rock musicians but also contributed to the broader appreciation and assimilation of the Delta blues into rock music, enriching its texture and depth.

Son House was highly regarded by critics for his intense, raw, and emotional style of blues, particularly for his powerful singing and innovative slide guitar techniques. His performances were often noted for their emotional depth and authenticity, which many believed encapsulated the Delta blues genre.

Critics praised him for his ability to convey deep personal and emotional experiences, often reflecting the hardships and soul-searching of life in the Mississippi Delta. His recordings, especially those from the late 1930s and early 1940s, were especially admired for showcasing his mastery of blues guitar and for the fervor of his vocal delivery.

When his music was rediscovered during the folk revival in the 1960s, the same raw intensity that marked his early work was again celebrated. His influence on future generations of blues and rock musicians was often highlighted, underscoring his legacy as one of the pioneering figures of the Delta blues tradition.

Yes, Son House is well-known for his rendition of the song "John the Revelator." This song is a traditional gospel blues call and response song which has been interpreted by many artists over the years, but Son House's version is particularly celebrated for its powerful delivery and deep emotional expression. His a cappella performance captures the spiritual intensity of the lyrics, making it a standout in his musical repertoire.

Son House was rediscovered in 1964. After years away from the public eye and music scene, he was found by blues enthusiasts and researchers, Dick Waterman, Phil Spiro, and Nick Perls in Rochester, New York. This pivotal moment led to a resurgence in his music career during the blues revival of the 1960s.

Son House did not originally write "Walkin' Blues"; it is a traditional Delta blues song that has been interpreted and recorded by many artists over the years, with Son House being one of the prominent figures to popularize it. The song has been linked to an older blues called "Walking Blues" which Robert Johnson also famously adapted.

The themes in "Walkin' Blues" reflect those common in the Delta blues genre—feelings of sorrow, wandering, and dealing with life's hardships. Son House, like many blues musicians of his time, sang about personal experiences and emotions, using his music as a form of expression and connectivity with others facing similar struggles. His version of "Walkin' Blues" is especially noted for its raw vocal intensity and striking slide guitar work, elements that helped to convey the feeling of the lyrics powerfully.

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