Bukka White

About

Delta blues guitarist who helped develop the Mississippi blues sound with songs like "Shake 'em on Down."

Before Fame

He started playing guitar at age nine and recorded his first album in 1930, alternating between country blues and gospel.

Trivia

With music alone not yet a lucrative career, he took odd jobs to make ends meet for much of the 1930s: he was a pitcher in the Negro Leagues and briefly a prizefighter.

Family Life

He was born on farm near Houston, Mississippi, his father John White was a railroad man, with Bukka's music sometimes imitating the rhythmic train knocks and melodic whistles.

Associated With

John Lee Hooker was another well-known Mississippi blues guitarist.