Eddie ‘Son’ House was a Delta Blues singer of deep intensity and dark passion. He had been something of a mentor to Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, having first recorded for Paramount in 1930, and then having been recorded by the peripatetic Folklorist Alan Lomax in 1940 and 1942 for the Library of Congress.
It was roundly assumed, by 1964, that Son House was dead, or at any rate lost beyond any hope of rediscovery and rehabilitation. This changed when Bukka White arrived in Cambridge Massachusetts to play some live shows. Through some interviews and enquiries with White, it was ascertained that he had seen House in Memphis.
Alan ‘Al’ Wilson was a young white guy, who was living in Cambridge, the epicentre of the American ‘Folk Revival’ of the late 50s/ early 60s. Young performers such as Joan Baez and Tom Rush had learned arcane traditional folk material from the likes of Pete Seeger and Leadbelly but the Blues had also formed part of their repertoire. They tended to draw on the lighter, more accessible style of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, rather than the intense, gutsier sounds of Delta Blues artists such as Robert Johnson, Skip James, Charley Patton, and, of course, Son House.
Amongst Wilson’s circle there was high excitement at the thought of another Blues hero being brought out of obscurity. To this end, one of Wilson’s friends Phil Spiro, ventured forth to Memphis, in the company of Dick Waterman, a local photographer and journalist, who had been a friend of Wilson’s for a couple of years. A record collector from New York, Nick Perls, who also (handily) owned a car and a tape recorder, also went along. Their quest has become something of a legend. Wilson opted to stay in Cambridge in the hope of getting gigs in coffee houses in his nascent performing career.
The Waterman, Perls and Spiro triumvirate didn’t find House in their Memphis trip, and instead moved on to Mississippi, where they succeeded in getting a telephone number for some of House’s relatives in Detroit. They, in turn, revealed that House was, in fact, living in Rochester, New York, and so the three returned North, finally meeting House on June 23rd, 1964.
It turned out that House was interested in reviving his musical career, and that he had lost little of his former vocal skill. There were, however, other health issues which impinged on his ability to play guitar. He hadn’t owned an instrument for years; moreover, he suffered from a hand tremor, compounded by alcoholism. House was about sixty-two years old by then, and had absolutely no idea that there was a Blues revival, much less that he had fans who were in awe of him.
When he was brought to Cambridge, it rapidly became apparent that House was not physically ready for the demands of live performance. He had lost the ability to play the fiery bottleneck guitar of his classic recordings, and even with the help of medication, he would have to learn to play again. To this end, Wilson took time out every day to sit with him, and play guitar, replicating the guitar work of his classic recordings. Wilson’s diligence and dedication was remarkable. This set Son House back on his way to becoming a Blues Legend.
In April 1965, Son recorded an album for Columbia/ CBS, under the production auspices of John Hammond Senior. Hammond was an industry legend; he had discovered and signed Billie Holliday, Bob Dylan, and over a decade and a half later, would be instrumental in signing the incredibly talented Texan guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan to Columbia/ Epic. By now, Waterman had become House’s manager, and he and Wilson accompanied House to New York City to cut the record, released as Father of the Folk Blues subsequently re-issued on CD in 1992 as Father of the Delta Blues.
It is roundly agreed that it is one of the finest albums of the ‘rediscovery’ era, and is nothing less than an essential example of the Delta Blues genre. Al Wilson was only twenty-one years old when he worked with Son House, playing a crucial, if under-acknowledged role in the re-presenting of the great Son House and his music. His combination of musical skill and man-management helped bring out the best in Son, for which Blues fans must be truly thankful.
Son House would go on to enjoy a successful late career before his physical problems (eventually diagnosed as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease) forced a final retirement in 1976. He died in 1988, aged eighty-six, his legend assured. As for Al Wilson, he would find global fame as a leading light in San Francisco Roots Rock band Canned Heat, but sadly his career was marred by fits of depression, succumbing to a drug overdose in September, 1970, aged only twenty-seven. A sad end to a career laced with promise.
With thanks to Alan Robinson