Tampa Red

Tampa Red
Tampa Red in the early 1930s
Tampa Red in the early 1930s
Background information
Birth nameHudson Woodbridge
Also known asHudson Whittaker
The Guitar Wizard
Born(1903-01-08)January 8, 1903
Smithville, Georgia, U.S.
DiedMarch 19, 1981(1981-03-19) (aged 78)
Chicago
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter
Instruments
Years active1920s–1960s
Labels

Hudson Whittaker (born Hudson Woodbridge; January 8, 1903[1] – March 19, 1981), known as Tampa Red, was an American Chicago blues musician.

His distinctive single-string slide guitar style, songwriting and bottleneck technique influenced other Chicago blues guitarists such as Big Bill Broonzy, Robert Nighthawk, Muddy Waters, and Elmore James.[2] In a career spanning over 30 years, he also recorded pop, R&B and hokum songs. His best-known recordings include "Anna Lou Blues", "Black Angel Blues", "Crying Won't Help You", "It Hurts Me Too", and "Love Her with a Feeling".[3]

  1. ^ Some sources quote a different date of birth, ranging from "Christmas day, probably 1900" to January 8, 1904.
  2. ^ Barlow, William (1989). "Looking Up at Down": The Emergence of Blues Culture. Temple University Press. pp. 304–305. ISBN 0-87722-583-4.
  3. ^ Pearson, Barry Lee. "Tampa Red: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved August 19, 2010.