Black Boy Shine

Black Boy Shine (c. September 12, 1908 – March 28, 1952), born Harold Holiday, was an American Texas blues pianist, singer and songwriter. Little is known of his life outside of his recording career. He was part of the Santa Fe Group, a loose ensemble of black blues pianists who played in the many juke joints abutting the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Black Boy Shine recorded almost twenty tracks between 1936 and 1937 for Vocalion and Melotone Records. Two of his tracks, "Hobo Blues" and "Ice Pick and Pistol Woman Blues", depicted the more lurid and potentially violent lives of Shine and his listeners.