Irene Scruggs

Irene Scruggs
Birth nameIrene Smith
Also known asChocolate Brown
Dixie Nolan
Born(1901-12-07)December 7, 1901
Lamont, Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States
DiedJuly 20, 1981(1981-07-20) (aged 79)
Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
GenresPiedmont blues, country blues[1]
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active1920s–1950s

Irene Scruggs (born Irene Smith, December 7, 1901 – July 20, 1981)[2] was an American Piedmont blues and country blues singer, who was also billed as Chocolate Brown and Dixie Nolan. She recorded songs such as "My Back to the Wall" and "Good Grindin'" and worked with Clarence Williams, Joe "King" Oliver, Lonnie Johnson, Little Brother Montgomery, Blind Blake, Albert Nicholas, and Kid Ory.[3] Scruggs achieved some success but today is largely forgotten.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference AMG was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 516. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  3. ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club". TheDeadRockStarsClub.com. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  4. ^ "Irene Scruggs". Sundayblues.org. Retrieved October 22, 2010.