Thomas Shaw (blues musician)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Shaw aka Tom Shaw, was an American
blues
singer and guitarist
.
, Texas
, and as a young man he worked with Blind Lemon Jefferson
, J. T. Smith and Ramblin' Thomas
. In the 1960s and 1970s he recorded for the Advent, Blue Goose
and Blues Beacon
labels
.
He recorded "Hey Mr. Nixon" and "Martin Luther King".
Shaw died during open heart surgery
in February 1977.
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...
singer and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
.
Biography
Thomas Edgar Shaw was born in BrenhamBrenham, Texas
Brenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and as a young man he worked with Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Lemon Jefferson
"Blind" Lemon Jefferson was an American blues singer and guitarist from Texas. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s, and has been titled "Father of the Texas Blues"....
, J. T. Smith and Ramblin' Thomas
Ramblin' Thomas
Ramblin' Thomas was an American country blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was the brother of another blues musician, Jesse Thomas. Thomas is best remembered for his slide guitar playing, and recording several pieces in the late 1920s and early 1930s...
. In the 1960s and 1970s he recorded for the Advent, Blue Goose
Blue Goose Records
Blue Goose Records is a record label setup in the early 1970s by Nick Perls.While on Blue Goose' sister label Yazoo Records Perls compiled rare 78 rpm recordings made in the 1920s by such singers and guitarists as Charlie Patton, Blind Willie McTell, the Memphis Jug Band, Blind Blake and Blind...
and Blues Beacon
Blues Beacon Records
Blues Beacon is a German record label founded in the early 1970s in Munich by Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber to record blues artists while touring Europe, e.g. Robert Pete Williams, Little Brother Montgomery, Bukka White, Thomas Shaw. Blues Beacon today is a sub-label of Enja Records,...
labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
He recorded "Hey Mr. Nixon" and "Martin Luther King".
Shaw died during open heart surgery
Open Heart Surgery
Open Heart Surgery was released on August 8, 2000 by rock band Virginwool. The band signed to Breaking/Atlantic Records after initially beginning signed to Universal Records. The album was produced and mixed by Brad Wood....
in February 1977.