Snooky Pryor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Edward "Snooky" Pryor (September 15, 1921–October 18, 2006) was an American blues harp player. He pioneered the thicker, amplified sound of blues harmonica.

Pryor was born in Lambert, Mississippi and developed a Delta blues style influenced by both Sonny Boy Williamson I and Sonny Boy Williamson II. He moved to Chicago around 1940.

While serving in the Army he would blow bugle calls through the powerful PA system, which led him to experiment with playing the harmonica that way. Upon discharge from the army in 1945, he obtained his own amplifier, and introduced the sound to Maxwell Street audiences, becoming a regular in the Chicago blues scene.

Prior recorded some of the first postwar Chicago blues records in 1948, including "Telephone Blues" and "Snooky & Moody's Boogie" with guitarist Moody Jones. He moved south to Ullin, Illinois in 1967, where he dropped out of sight, but was rediscovered in 1987 and resumed periodic recording until his death in nearby Cape Girardeau, Missouri at the age of 85.

Some of his better known songs include "Judgement Day" (1956), "Nine Below Zero" and "Crazy 'Bout My Baby" from Snooky(1989), "How'd You Learn to Shake It Like That" from Antone's Tenth Anniversary Anthology (1989) and "Shake My Hand" (1999).

partial list

  • "Boogie" (a side) "Telephone Blues" (b side) (1948) Planet
  • "Someone to Love Me" (a) "Judgement Day" (b) (1956) Vee Jay Records
  • Snooky (1989) Blind Pig Records
  • Snooky Pryor (1991) Paula Records
  • Johnny Shines and Snooky Pryor: Back To The Country (1991) Blind Pig Records
  • Snooky Pryor: Too Cool To Move (1992) Antones
  • Snooky Pryor: Shake My Hand (1999) Blind Pig Records

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