Arthur Crudup facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arthur Crudup
Background information
Birth name	Arthur William Crudup
Also known as	Big Boy Crudup Elmer James Percy Lee Crudup
Born	(1905-08-24)August 24, 1905 Forest, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	March 28, 1974(1974-03-28) (aged 68) Nassawadox, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Blues, Delta blues, rock and roll
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1939–1973
Labels	Bluebird, Delmark

Arthur William "Big Boy" Crudup (born August 24, 1905 – died March 28, 1974) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was famous for his songs like "That's All Right", "My Baby Left Me", and "So Glad You're Mine". These songs were later sung by many artists, including the legendary Elvis Presley.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Arthur Crudup was born on August 24, 1905, in Union Grove, Forest, Mississippi. His family moved around a lot as migrant workers. In 1926, they returned to Mississippi. There, Arthur sang gospel music in church.

He learned to play the blues from a local musician named Papa Harvey. Soon, Arthur was playing his guitar and singing in dance halls and cafes around Forest. Around 1940, he moved to the big city of Chicago.

Arthur Crudup's Musical Journey

Arthur Crudup started his blues singing career near Clarksdale, Mississippi. In 1939, he visited Chicago as part of a group called the Harmonizing Four. He decided to stay in Chicago and try to make it as a solo musician. It was tough, and he often had to sing on the streets just to get by.

A record producer named Lester Melrose discovered Arthur. A producer helps artists record their music. Melrose helped Arthur get a recording contract with RCA Victor's Bluebird label.

Recording His Famous Songs

Arthur Crudup recorded many songs with RCA in the late 1940s. He also recorded with other labels like Ace Records and Checker Records in the early 1950s. He often toured and played in clubs across the South. Sometimes, he even played with other famous blues musicians like Sonny Boy Williamson II. Arthur also used different names for his recordings, such as Elmer James and Percy Lee Crudup.

Some of his popular songs in the South included "Mean Old 'Frisco Blues" and "Who's Been Foolin' You". His songs "That's All Right", "Rock Me Mama", "So Glad You're Mine", and "My Baby Left Me" became very famous. Many artists later recorded these songs, including Elvis Presley, Elton John, and Rod Stewart.

Arthur stopped recording in the 1950s because of problems with getting paid fairly for his music. This payment is called a royalty. He once said, "I realized I was making everybody rich, and here I was poor." He started recording again in 1965 for labels like Fire Records and Delmark Records. People sometimes called him "The Father of Rock and Roll" because of his influence.

Later Years and Fight for Fair Pay

In 1968, a blues promoter named Dick Waterman tried to help Arthur Crudup get the money he was owed. They almost reached a deal for $60,000, but the company that was supposed to pay him backed out. In the early 1970s, two activists, Celia Santiago and Margaret Carter, also tried to help him get his royalties. By 1971, he had collected over $10,000 in overdue payments with help from the Songwriters Guild of America.

In 1970, Arthur traveled to the United Kingdom and recorded an album called "Roebuck Man". His last performances were with singer Bonnie Raitt. Sadly, Arthur knew he would likely remain poor despite his success. He said in 1970, "I was born poor, I live poor, and I am going to die poor."

Death

Arthur Crudup passed away on March 28, 1974. He died from heart disease and diabetes in a hospital in Nassawadox, Virginia. There was some confusion about his exact death date because he used several different names during his life.

Arthur Crudup's Legacy

Arthur Crudup's importance is remembered with a special marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Forest, Mississippi. Elvis Presley himself recognized Arthur's influence on rock and roll. Elvis once said, "If I had any ambition, it was to be as good as Arthur Crudup."

Some music experts believe Arthur Crudup's song "That's All Right" might be the very first rock and roll song ever recorded. They even say it could have the first guitar solo break! Other sources agree, calling it a strong candidate for "rock 'n' roll’s ground zero."

An article in The Guardian newspaper in 2004 explained that Elvis Presley's version of "That's All Right" was not the first rock and roll record. Instead, it was one of the first times a white artist sang a style of music that black musicians had been playing for almost ten years. This style was a loud, energetic type of rhythm and blues.

The Blues Hall of Fame states that Crudup "became known as 'The Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll' after Elvis Presley recorded three of his songs." However, they also note that Arthur Crudup was a "classic victim of music industry exploitation." This means that even though his music was very successful, he was never able to earn enough money from it to support his family. The Hall quotes Elvis Presley saying, "Down in Tupelo, Mississippi, I used to hear old Arthur Crudup bang his box the way I do now, and I said if I ever got to the place I could feel all old Arthur felt, I’d be a music man like nobody ever saw."

Discography

Solo albums

• Mean Ol' Frisco (Fire, 1962)
• Crudup's Mood (Delmark, 1969)
• Look on Yonder's Wall (Delmark, 1969)
• Roebuck Man (United Artists Records, 1970)

Collaborative albums

• Sunny Road, with Jimmy Dawkins and Willie Smith (Delmark, 1969)
• Arthur "BigBoy" Crudup Meets the Master Blues Bassists, with Willie Dixon and Ransom Knowling (Delmark, 1994)

Compilation albums

• The Father of Rock and Roll (RCA, 1971)
• Give Me a 32-30 (Crown Prince, 1982)
• Star Bootlegger (Krazy Kat, 1982)
• I'm in the Mood (Krazy Kat, 1983)
• Crudup's Rockin' Blues (RCA, 1985)
• Shout Sister Shout! (Bullwhip, 1987)
• That's All Right Mama (Matchbox, 1989)
• The Father of Rock and Roll (Blues Encore, 1992)
• That's All Right Mama (BMG, 1992)
• Complete Recorded Works, vols. 1–4 (Document, 1993)
• Rock Me Mama (Orbis, 1993)
• That's Alright Mama (Laserlight, 1995)
• Crudup's After Hours (History, 1996)
• The Complete Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, vols. 1 and 2 (Jazz Tribune, 1997)
• After Hours (Camden, 1997)
• Cool Disposition (Catfish, 1999)
• Dirt Road Blues (Past Perfect Silver Line, 2000)
• The Essential Arthur Crudup (Document, 2001)
• Blues Legends (Rainbow, 2002)
• Everything's Alright (Our World, 2002)
• Crudup's After Hours (Past Perfect Silver Line, 2002)
• Rock Me Mama (Tomato, 2003)
• The Father of Rock 'n' Roll (Wolf, 2003)
• Rock Me Mamma: When the Sun Goes Down, vol. 7 (RCA, 2003)
• The Story of the Blues (Archive Blues, 2004)
• Too Much Competition (Passport, 2006)
• Gonna Be Some Change (Rev-Ola, 2008)
• My Baby Left Me: The Definitive Collection (Fantastic Voyage, 2011)
• The Blues (Fuel, 2012)
• Sunny Road (Delmar, 2013)

Images for kids

• 

  Crudup's grave, in Franktown, Virginia

See Also

In Spanish: Arthur Crudup para niños

• Checker Records
• Fire Records
• First rock and roll record
• Origins of rock and roll