Robert Belfour
Encyclopedia
Robert "Wolfman" Belfour (born September 11, 1940, Red Banks, Mississippi
, United States
) is an American
blues
musician
. His father, Grant Belfour taught him the guitar
at a young age and he continued his tutelage in the blues from musicians Otha Turner, R. L. Burnside
, and Junior Kimbrough
. Kimbrough, in particular, had a profound influence on him. His music is deeply rooted in Mississippi Hill Country traditions
, in contrast to those of delta blues. His playing is characterized by a deeply percussive attack and alternate tunings.
His father died when Belfour was thirteen, and his music was relegated to what free time he had, as his energy went to helping his mother provide for the family. In 1959, he married Noreen Norman and moved to Memphis
, Tennessee
, where he would work in construction
for the next 35 years.
In the 1980s, Belfour began playing on Beale Street
and in 1994 he had eight song
s featured on the compilation album
, The Spirit Lives On, Deep South Country Blues and Spirituals in the 1990s. This led him to Fat Possum Records
and his first album
What's Wrong With You, released in 2000.
The album, Pushin' My Luck, followed in 2003 to a positive critical review.
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. His father, Grant Belfour taught him the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at a young age and he continued his tutelage in the blues from musicians Otha Turner, R. L. Burnside
R. L. Burnside
Not to be confused with R. H. Burnside, stage director.R. L. Burnside , born Robert Lee Burnside, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist who lived much of his life in and around Holly Springs, Mississippi. He played music for much of his life, but did not receive much attention...
, and Junior Kimbrough
Junior Kimbrough
David "Junior" Kimbrough was an American blues musician. His best known work included "Keep Your Hands Off Her" and "All Night Long". Music journalist Tony Russell stated "his raw, repetitive style suggests an archaic forebear of John Lee Hooker, a character his music shares with that of fellow...
. Kimbrough, in particular, had a profound influence on him. His music is deeply rooted in Mississippi Hill Country traditions
Hill country blues
Hill country blues is a regional offshoot of country blues style characterized by few chord changes, unconventional song structures, and an emphasis on the "groove" or a steady, driving rhythm...
, in contrast to those of delta blues. His playing is characterized by a deeply percussive attack and alternate tunings.
His father died when Belfour was thirteen, and his music was relegated to what free time he had, as his energy went to helping his mother provide for the family. In 1959, he married Noreen Norman and moved to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, where he would work in construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
for the next 35 years.
In the 1980s, Belfour began playing on Beale Street
Beale Street
Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the blues. Today, the blues clubs and restaurants that line Beale Street are...
and in 1994 he had eight song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s featured on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, The Spirit Lives On, Deep South Country Blues and Spirituals in the 1990s. This led him to Fat Possum Records
Fat Possum Records
Fat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording hitherto unknown Mississippi blues artists . Recently, Fat Possum has signed younger rock acts to its roster...
and his first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
What's Wrong With You, released in 2000.
The album, Pushin' My Luck, followed in 2003 to a positive critical review.
See also
- Hill country bluesHill country bluesHill country blues is a regional offshoot of country blues style characterized by few chord changes, unconventional song structures, and an emphasis on the "groove" or a steady, driving rhythm...
- List of Delta blues musicians
- List of country blues musicians
- List of blues revival musicians
External links
- Robert Belfour page from Fat Possum Records site
- [ Allmusic biography]
- 2007 interview