ST. Louis, Illinois, 1930

Alongside the Bank of the Mississippi River, almost completely cut off from the Centre of the town by a network of railroad tracks, lies East-St. Louis. This slump is called “The Valley”. A breeding ground of crime: corruption, extortion, prostitution and murder are “the order of the day”. Overdue vegetables and catfish from the river its food. Here, in the many pubs, bars, dance halls, gambling places, thrives the blues of singer/piano player William Bunch, aka “Peetie Wheatstraw”. *

He surrounds his striking personality, a very long face, a high forehead and remarkably protruding ears, with an almost mythical potency and arrogance:

“Everybody hollering “Here comes that Peetie Wheatstraw. Now he is better known by the Devil’s Son-in-law. Don’t tell all your women, what Peetie Wheatstraw can do. That will cause them to be suspicious and you know they will try him too. He makes some happy, some he make cry. Well now, he made an old lady go hang herself and die.” (PEETIE WHEATSTRAW’S BLUES, CHICAGO, 09.28.1931)

Peetie Wheatstraw, “The Devil’s Son-In-Law” or “The High Sheriff From Hell” starts almost all his flat songs (which he therefore “peppers” with “oh, well, well”) with the same, thereby striking piano-intro and he sometimes sings inconceivable rhyming lyrics. He is a celebrity in his time, who recorded over 160 songs in Chicago and New York. From 1938 on he is no longer allowed to accompany himself on the piano in the studio, caused by a dispute with the Trade Union over overdue membership fee …

He sings with an unclear, lazy voice, at immediately recognizable rolling (with one hand) and hammering (with the other) piano playing, his ironic, ruthless songs:

“You can start your screamin’ but must give in: I’m gonna tear you to pieces put you together again. I’ve got the gangster blues, boys, I’m feelin’ mean.” (GANGSTER’S BLUES, NEW YORK, 08.28.1936)

But he most certainly is not averse to a sexist blues:

“Well, the first woman I had, she made me get on my knees and had the nerve to ask me, ooh, well, well, if I liked limburger cheese”. (THE FIRST SHALL BE THE LAST AND THE LAST SHALL BE THE FIRST, NEW YORK, 02.18.1936)

“Say, the peaches I’m loving, don’t grow on no tree, lord, it’s somewhere, baby, just above your knee”. (TENNESSEE PEACHES BLUES, CHICAGO, 08.13.1930)

Of course he has lots of girlfriends, knowing how to handle them. After all, women are mean and cannot be trusted. They utilize the hard working man: “I’m in prison, longing to be free; a false hearted women, ooh, well, well, is the downfall of me”. (FALSE HEARTED WOMAN, CHICAGO, 10.26.1936)

“I was working on the Project** , three or four months ago since I ha’ got my 304 (“three-o-four”)***, ooh, well, well, my baby don’t want me no more”. (304 BLUES, NEW YORK, 04.01.1938)

His advice to male blues lovers:

“Please take my advice and try to merry a good woman and merry no pocket knife!” (POCKET KNIFE BLUES, NEW YORK CITY, 04.04.1940)

Of course he drinks his whiskey: “You can’t stop me from drinkin’ it ain’t no use to try because the way you treat me, ohh, well, well, I’m gonna drink until I die.” (YOU CAN’T STOP ME FROM DRINKIN’, CHICAGO, 09.14.1939)

After the Prohibition (January 1920 to December 5, 1933) the legal return of spirits is celebrated with GOOD WHISKEY BLUES (CHICAGO, 03.25.1935):

“Well now, I’m so glad we got good whiskey back today Well now, I can drink all night long, ooh well, I wan’t have no doctor bill to pay”.

And, even during the same recording session, more of the same in: MORE GOOD WHISKEY BLUES:

“You is just welcome, good whiskey, now, as the flowers in May, well, since you come back to me, ooh well, now, I hope you have come back to stay.”

In his last session of nine recordings it looks like he feels that his end is getting near: “Separation Day Blues” starts with “Old organ, you‘ve played your last tune”. With “Hearse Man Blues” the driver of the hearse wagon is meant, while his last song shows a perspective view on life: “Bring me flowers, whilst I ‘m living, don’t bring them when I’m dead; Bring me water to my bed; a drink will keep me cool and just say after I have gone, ooh well, well, “I sure tried to help that fool” Don’t bring me flowers after I am dead; a dead man sure can’t smell, and if I don’t go to heaven, oh, well, well, I don’t sure need no flowers in hell.” (BRING ME FLOWERS WHILE I’M LIVING, CHICAGO, 11.25.1941)

Less than a month later (12.21.1941) he is dead. His legacy includes 161 numbers, transferred from more than often rushing 78 rpm records to seven CD’s, which form the musical heart and highlights of my blues collection. But … how I would like to meet and hear this jiving man sing and play live! As “The Devil’s Son-in-Law” and the “High Sheriff From Hell” that should still be possible… I would be happy to pay for his overdue Trade Union fee … More than happy!

References:

Books by:

*Paul Oliver: “The Story of the Blues” (1969);

*Paul Garon: “The Devil’s Son-in-Law” (1971);

*Giles Oakley: “The Devil’s Music” (1976).

**The “W(orks) P(rogress) A(dministration)”: A government program for new (low paid) jobs from 1935 to 1939.

***Dismissal note in the last pay packet.