Honeyboy Edwards - blues legend talks about hoboing through the great depression

From: Gianluca Tramontana
Series: Sitting With Gianluca - From Country-Bluegrass-Blues to CBGBs
Length: 10:02

Ninety-four year-old Blues legend recalls his almost thirty years as a boxcar hobo and gambler. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Honeyboy Edwards - blues legend talks about ...
From: Gianluca Tramontana

A24c0cfc80_small Ninety-four year-old blues legend David 'Honeyboy' Edwards spent close to thirty years as a hobo and gambler. Gianluca visited Honeyboy at home on Chicago's South Side to listen to stories about riding boxcars through the deep South and hustling with loaded dice.

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Piece Description

Ninety-four year-old blues legend David 'Honeyboy' Edwards spent close to thirty years as a hobo and gambler. Gianluca visited Honeyboy at home on Chicago's South Side to listen to stories about riding boxcars through the deep South and hustling with loaded dice.

Broadcast History

A shorter version of this was broadcast on WNYC's studio 360 in May '08

Timing and Cues

Intro - excerpt from Honeyboy Edwards "Boogie Rambler" from CD Roamin' and Ramblin' Earwig, 2007. 00:10 secs

0:30 - Excerpt from Blind Blake "Georgia Bound" Paramount, 1929. 00:08 secs

1:00 - Excerpt from Honeyboy Edwards. "Roaming and Rambling Blues" from Library of Congress 1942 recordings 00:06 secs.

3:14 - Excerpt from Blind Lemon Jefferson. "Matchbox Blues" Paramount, 1927. 00:13 secs

3:32 - Excerpt from Blind Lemon Jefferson. "Matchbox Blues" Paramount, 1927. 00:7 secs

4:15 - Luke Jordon. "Pick Poor Robin Clean" Victor, 1927. 00:17

5:04 - Luke Jordon. "Pick Poor Robin Clean" Victor, 1927. 00:06

9:43 - Excerpt from Honeyboy Edwards. "Crawling Kingsnake" Roamin' and Ramblin'. Earwig, 2007. 00:20

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

Back in the first half of the twentieth century Honeyboy Edwards was just the kind of rootsy American musician that the field recordists were chasing down. He was born in rural Mississippi, and walked side-by-side with names from the history books like Robert Johnson, Son House and Charley Patton. But before Honeyboy Edwards became a famous musician he was different type of American icon - A boxcar hobo. For thirty years he rode the rails playing music and getting by any way he could. He even learned how to load dice from a successful hustler. Gianluca Tramontana went to visit Honeyboy Edwards on the South side of Chicago.

OUTRO:

Musical Works

Title	Artist	Album	Label	Year	Length
Boogie Rambler	Honeyboy Edwards	Roamin' and Ramblin'.	Earwig	2007	00:10
Georgia Bound	Blind Blake		Paramount	1929	00:08
Roaming and Rambling Blues	Honeyboy Edwards		Library of Congress	1942	00:06
Matchbox Blues	Blind Lemon Jefferson		Paramount	1927	00:13
Pick Poor Robin Clean	Luke Jordon		Victor	1927	00:17
Crawling Kingsnake	Honeyboy Edwards	Roamin' and Ramblin'.	Earwig	2007	00:20