Barbecue Bob
Robert Hicks, better known as Barbecue Bob (September 11, 1902 – October 21, 1931) was an early American Piedmont blues musician. His nickname came from the fact that he was a cook in a barbecue restaurant. One of the two extant photographs of Bob show him playing his guitar while wearing a full length white apron and cook's hat.
Early life
He was born in Walnut Grove, Georgia to farmers Charlie and Mary Hicks. He and his brother, Charlie Hicks, together with Curley Weaver, were taught how to play the guitar by Curley's mother, Savannah "Dip" Weaver. Bob began playing the 6-string guitar but picked up the 12-string guitar after moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 1923–1924. He became one of the prominent performers of the newly developing early Atlanta blues style.
In Atlanta, Hicks worked a variety of jobs, playing music on the side. While working at Tidwells' Barbecue in a north Atlanta suburb, Hicks came to the attention of Columbia Records talent scout Dan Hornsby. Hornsby recorded him and decided to use Hicks's job as a gimmick, having him pose in chef's whites and hat for publicity photos and dubbing him "Barbecue Bob".
Barbecue Bob
ALBUMS
- Chocolate to the Bone released: 1992
- Complete Recorded Works, Volume 1: 25 March 1927 to 13 April 1928 released: 1991
- Complete Recorded Works, Volume 2: 21 April 1928 to 3 November 1929 released:
Chocolate to the Bone
Released 1992- Motherless Chile Blues
- Spider and the Fly
- Yo Yo Blues
- Mississippi Heavy Water Blues
- California Blues
- She's Coming Back Some Cold Rainy Day
- Barbecue Blues
- When the Saints Go Marching In
- Ease It to Me Blues
- Poor Boy a Long Ways From Home
- Diddle-Da-Diddle
- Going Up the Country
- Atlanta Moan
- Good Time Rounder
- It's Just Too Bad
- Twistin' Your Stuff
- Chocolate to the Bone
- Black Skunk Blues
- Jacksonville Blues
- She Shook Her Gin
Complete Recorded Works, Volume 1: 25 March 1927 to 13 April 1928
Released 1991- Barbecue Blues
- Cloudy Sky Blues
- Mississippi Heavy Water Blues
- Mamma You Don't Suit Me!
- Brown-Skin Gal
- Honey You Don't Know My Mind
- Poor Boy a Long Ways From Home
- When the Saints Go Marching In
- Jesus' Blood Can Make Me Whole
- Easy Rider Don't You Deny My Name
- Thinkin' Funny Blues
- My Mistake Blues
- Motherless Chile Blues
- How Long Pretty Mama
- It Won't Be Long Now, Part 1
- It Won't Be Long Now, Part 2
- Crooked Woman Blues
- 'Fo Day Creep
- Blind Pig Blues
- Waycross Georgia Blues
- Goin' Up the Country
- Chocolate to the Bone
- Hurry and Bring It Back Home
Complete Recorded Works, Volume 2: 21 April 1928 to 3 November 1929
- Mississippi Low-Levee Blues
- Ease It to Me Blues
- Jacksonville Blues
- Midnight Weeping Blues
- She's Gone Blues
- Cold Wave Blues
- Beggin' for Love
- Bad Time Blues
- Meat Man Pete
- Dollar Down Blues
- It Just Won't Hay
- It's Just Too Bad
- Good Time Rounder
- Honey Your Going Too Fast
- Red Hot Mama Papa's Going to Cool You Off
- California Blues
- It's a Funny Little Thing
- Black Skunk Blues
- Yo Yo Blues
- Trouble Done Bore Me Down
- Freeze to Me Mama
- Me and My Whiskey
- Unnamed Blues
Born: 1902-09-11
Died: 1931-10-21
Barbecue Bob, Vol. 2
When you were down : sick down on your bed
Know bobby brought you your medicine : also brought you
bread
You is up today : looking good again
I knocked on your door : wouldn't even let me in
But the sun going to shine : once more in my back door
It's true I love you sweet mama : but you can't mistreat
me no more
I was standing at the terminal : arms fold up and cried
Crying I wonder what train : taking that brown of mine
And I run to the telephone : took the receiver down
I said hello Central : give me Doctor Brown
My baby looks for me : at any old hour at night
No matter when I go there : she's never turning off her
light
Mmm : Lord Lord Lord
You womens in Atlanta : treat your men like your dog
Before this time brown : maybe another year
I'll be up the country : drinking that cool can beer
