Roosevelt Sykes
Photo: Doug Fulton
Source: Alchetron
Born in Elmar, Arkansas, on 31 January 1906, blues and boogie woogie pianist, Roosevelt Sykes, was known as the Honeydripper due to his likable personality. Said to have a winning way with the girls as a youth, he picked up this sobriquet in 1929 upon Edith Johnson's issue of 'Honeydripper Blues' on Paramount 12823 in which she pretends a blues by calling him mean, yet loses her mind and heart due to to his honey-dripping ways. Sykes used a variety of other pseudonyms as well, including Easy Papa Johnson for Melotone Records, Dobby Bragg for Paramount Records ('Fire Detective Blues') [Discogs], Willie Kelly for Victor Records ('As True as I've Been to You') and The Bluesman for Specialty Records.
Taking to the road at age fifteen, by age twenty Sykes was performing barrelhouse piano along the Mississippi at sawmills, levee camps, wherever laborers were gathered and a piano could be found. He left St. Louis for New York City in 1929 expressly to make his first recordings. His first issue, 'Boot That Thang' / '44 Blues' (OKeh 8702), is thought have gone down on 14 June 1929. Profits from Sykes' recordings went toward a second career of running speakeasies (illegal bars) before heading to Chicago in 1934 to record for Decca.
'44 Blues' Roosevelt Sykes
From Sykes' first recording session
14 June 1929 in NYC Matrix 402451 OKeh 8702
Composition: Sykes
'All My Money Gone' Roosevelt Sykes
14 June 1929 in NYC Matrix 402452 OKeh 8727
Guitar: Oscar Carter Composition: Sykes
'The Way I Feel Blues' Roosevelt Sykes
14 June 1929 in NYC Matrix 402453 OKeh 8727
Guitar: Oscar Carter Composition: Sykes
'Honey Dripper Blues' Roosevelt Sykes backing Edith Johnson
Sykes receives his nickname "The Honey Dripper"
7 Sep 1929 in Richmond IN Matrix 15561 Paramount 12823
Composition: Johnson
'Driving Wheel Blues' Roosevelt Sykes
18 Feb 1936 in NYC Matrix 60509 Decca 7252
Composition: Sykes
'Night Time Is the Right Time' Roosevelt Sykes
29 April 1927 in Chicago Matrix 91205 Decca 7324
Composition: Sykes
Sykes formed his ensemble, The Honeydrippers, in 1943. He left Chicago for New Orleans in 1954 to return in 1960, tour Europe and head to New Orleans again in the latter sixties.
'This Tavern Boogie' Roosevelt Sykes
Sometime 1945 in Chicago Matrix QB 3351-1A Black & White 100
Tenor sax: J.T. Brown Composition: Sykes
'Flames of Jive' Roosevelt Sykes & His HoneyDrippers
23 Aug 1946 in Chicago Matrix D6VB 1936 RCA Victor 20-2382
Trumpet: Johnny Morton
Alto sax: Oett 'Sax' Mallard Tenor sax: Bill Casimir
Guitar: Sam Casimir Bass: Ernest 'Big' Crawford Drums: Jump Jackson
Composition: Sykes
'Hush on Hush' Roosevelt Sykes
10 Sep 1955 in New Orleans Matrix IM 914 Imperial 5367
Composition: P. King / R. S. Bey
'Sputnik Baby' Roosevelt Sykes
Sometime 1957 in Memphis Matrix 1006B House of Sound C&S 505
Composition: Pickard / Buckalew
'The Honeydripper' Roosevelt Sykes Album
14 Sep 1960 in Englewood Cliffs NJ Prestige Bluesville 1014
Tenor sax: King Curtis Organ: Robert Banks
Bass: Leonard Gaskin Drums: Belton Evans
'Out On a Limb' Roosevelt Sykes
From the album 'Roosevelt Sykes Sings the Blues' recorded April or May 1962 in Chicago
Tenor sax: Oett 'Sax' Mallard Guitar: Lee Jackson
Bass: Willie Dixon Drums: Jump Jackson
Composition: Sykes
'Runnin' the Boogie' Roosevelt Sykes French television sometime 1970
Television special: 'Le Blues Entre Les Dents' ('Blues Between the Teeth')
Composition: Sykes
'Persimmon Pie' Roosevelt Sykes
From the album 'Dirty Double Mother' recorded March 1973 in New Orleans
Tenor sax: Clarence Ford Guitar: Justin Adams
Bass: George French Jr. Drums: Alonzo Stewart
Composition: Sykes
'Driving Wheel' Roosevelt Sykes backing John Hammond (guitar)
Sykes' last-known recording session
From the Hammond album 'Footwork' recorded sometime 1978 in NYC
Composition: Sykes
Sykes died of heart attack in New Orleans on 17 July 1983. Buried in an unmarked grave upon a career spanning more than half a century, Roosevelt lived 77 years despite his ever present cigar (missing from the photograph above). He was elected to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1999.
Sources & References for Roosevelt Sykes:
Bill Dahl (All Music)
VF History (notes)
Audio of Sykes: Internet Archive
Compositions: Music Brainz SHS
Sykes in Film / Television: IMDb
Recordings by Sykes: Albums:
The Honeydripper · Roosevelt Sykes (recorded 14 Sep 1960 / Prestige Bluesville 1014 / 1961)
The Return of Roosevelt Sykes (recorded 1 & 2 March 1960 / Prestige Bluesville BVLP 1006 / 1960)
Recordings by Sykes: Catalogs:
45 Cat 45 Worlds Discogs Hung Medien RYM
Recordings by Sykes: Compilations:
Roosevelt Sykes: Blues Man (1929-44 / 1996)
Roosevelt Sykes: The Essential (1929-46 / 2001)
Recordings by Sykes: Sessions:
DAHR (1929-49)
Tom Lord: leading 21 of 33 sessions 1929-76
Stefan Wirz (American Music / 1929-78)
Authority Search: VIAF
Other Profiles: Encyclopedia of Arkansas
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