Rock Me Mama
(A. Crudup - M. Draper)

Recorded:
Chicago, December 15. 1944
Arthur „Big Boy" Cudrup (g/vcl)
Melvin Draper (d)

"Big Boy" Crudup was a great blues singer and writer who was well-known throughout the United States. He was born on August 24, 1905. Arthur Crudup began his musical career singing gospel in church choirs.He began playing the blues for parties in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1939, but Crudup moved to Chicago in the hopes of making a better living. For awhile he played street corners in Chicago blues, but what he earned was not enough to live on. He lived in a packing crate underneath an elevated train track until he was found by blues producer Lester Melrose. Crudup was hired to play at a party at Tampa Red's house in 1941, and as a result of that night, was signed to record for RCA/Bluebird. However, the relationship with Melrose deteriorated after Crudup found out that he was not being paid royalties for the songs he wrote in 1947. By this time Crudup had become an innovator because his sound was his own. He returned to Mississippi after his falling out with Melrose and ran a successful bootlegging business. He did continue to record with RCA in the late 1940's and 50's, and he also toured with Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) and Elmore James. (less info)