Mississippi John Hurt

“Mississippi” John Hurt
(March 8, 1892 — November 2, 1966)

John Hurt was a gentle, self-effacing artist who seemed more interested in living well than chasing fame. He learned guitar as a child—by his account before age ten—borrowing a mentor’s instrument at night to practice. In 1928 he traveled from Avalon, Mississippi, to record for OKeh, cutting sides such as “Stack O’Lee,” “Candy Man,” and “Avalon Blues.” Sales were modest, and he returned home to farm and play locally for friends and neighbors, unaware that those records would gain devoted listeners over time.

By the early 1960s folk revival, collectors began searching for the surviving voices behind old 78s. Using the clue “Avalon, my hometown,” enthusiasts located Hurt in 1963 and persuaded him to perform again. He was astonished to learn that his 1920s recordings had not only survived but had earned him a new, larger audience.

Hurt’s comeback was swift and joyful. He performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963, toured extensively, and recorded a run of celebrated albums in the mid-1960s. He died of a heart attack on November 2, 1966, in Mississippi.

Musically, Hurt stood apart from rougher Delta styles. His warm voice, intricate thumb-and-finger picking, and steady alternating bass aligned more with Piedmont and ragtime approaches, though his roots were firmly Mississippi. He was, in the old sense, a songster—moving easily among blues, gospel, ballads, and dance tunes—creating an intimate acoustic sound that remains timeless.

Notable songs: “Stack O’Lee,” “Candy Man,” “Spike Driver Blues,” “Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor,” “Louis Collins,” “Avalon Blues.”