David "Honeyboy" Edwards Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Edwards performing in July 2006
Background information
Birth name	David Edwards
Also known as	Honeyboy Mr. Honey
Born	(1915-06-28)June 28, 1915 Shaw, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	August 29, 2011(2011-08-29) (aged 96) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Delta blues, jazz, R&B, soul, folk
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Years active	1930s–2011
Labels	Earwig Music, Trix, Chess, Arc Records, APO records
Associated acts	Robert Johnson, Pinetop Perkins, Henry Townsend, Robert Lockwood, Jr.

David "Honeyboy" Edwards (born June 28, 1915 – died August 29, 2011) was a famous Delta blues guitarist and singer. He came from Mississippi, a state in the southern United States. He was known for his long career in music.

The Life of a Blues Legend
Music and Films
- Discography
- Film Appearances
Awards and Honors
Images for kids
See also

The Life of a Blues Legend

Early Life and Traveling Musician

David Edwards was born in Shaw, Mississippi. He learned to play music from his father. His dad played both the guitar and the violin. When David was just 14, he left home. He started traveling with another blues musician named Big Joe Williams. This was the beginning of his life as a traveling musician. He continued this way through the 1930s and 1940s.

He played with many famous blues artists. One of his closest friends was Robert Johnson. Edwards was with Robert Johnson when he passed away. His memories helped tell Johnson's story. Edwards also knew and played with other important blues musicians. These included Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson, and Johnny Shines.

Edwards often talked about what it was like to be a traveling blues musician. He would go to small towns and play for people. Sometimes, so many people would gather that it would block the street! Police might come, and then he would move to another town. Sometimes, a store owner would pay them a few dollars to play. They would travel by hitchhiking or even hopping on freight trains. They might go to cities like St. Louis or Chicago. They also looked for places where people were working, like on farms or railroad jobs. People there would often give them money for their music. Edwards said, "Anywhere was home. Where I do good, I stay. When it gets bad and dull, I'm gone."

Edwards performing in Somerset, Kentucky, July 19, 2008

Recordings and Later Career

In 1942, a folklorist named Alan Lomax recorded Edwards in Clarksdale, Mississippi. These recordings were for the Library of Congress. Edwards recorded 15 songs, including "Wind Howlin' Blues" and "The Army Blues." However, he didn't release music commercially until 1951. That's when he recorded "Who May Be Your Regular Be" for Arc Records. He used the name Mr. Honey for this recording.

Edwards said he wrote several well-known blues songs. These included "Long Tall Woman Blues" and "Just Like Jesse James." He recorded only a few songs in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1974 to 1977, he recorded songs for his first full album. It was called I've Been Around and came out in 1978.

His autobiography, The World Don't Owe Me Nothing, was published in 1997. It tells his life story from childhood. It covers his travels through the American South. It also describes his move to Chicago in the early 1950s. A CD with the same title was released with the book. Edwards worked with the Earwig Music label and his manager, Michael Frank, for many years. This led to several albums later in his career. He continued to travel and perform well into his 90s.

Awards and Retirement

Between 1996 and 2000, Edwards was nominated for many Blues Music Awards. His albums like White Windows and Mississippi Delta Blues Man were recognized. In 2007, he appeared on an album called Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas. This album won a Grammy Award in 2008. He also won the Blues Music Award for Acoustic Blues Artist in 2005 and 2007. In 2010, he received a special Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors musicians who have made lasting contributions to music.

On July 17, 2011, it was announced that Edwards would retire. This was due to his health. David "Honeyboy" Edwards passed away on August 29, 2011, at his home. He was 96 years old.

Music and Films

Discography

Here are some of the albums and songs David "Honeyboy" Edwards released:

"Build a Cave"/"Who May Be Your Regular Be" (ARC, 1951)
"Drop Down Mama" (Chess, 1953)
I've Been Around (Trix Records, 1978, 1995)
Mississippi Delta Bluesman (Folkways Records, 1979)
Old Friends (Earwig, 1979)
White Windows (Blue Suit, 1988)
Delta Bluesman (Earwig/Indigo, 1992)
Crawling Kingsnake (Testament, 1997)
World Don't Owe Me Nothing, recorded live (Earwig, 1997)
Don't Mistreat a Fool (Genes, 1999)
Shake 'Em On Down (APO, 2000)
Mississippi Delta Bluesman (reissue of 1979 album: Smithsonian Folkways Records, 2001)
Back to the Roots (Wolf, 2001)
Roamin' and Ramblin (Earwig, 2008)

Film Appearances

Edwards appeared in several films. In the 1991 documentary The Search for Robert Johnson, he shared stories about Robert Johnson.

He was also the main subject of a 2010 film called Honeyboy and the History of the Blues. This film tells his life story. It shows his journey from working on farms to traveling the world playing music. Famous musicians like Keith Richards, Robert Cray, and B. B. King also appeared in the film.

Edwards had a small role in the 2007 movie Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Awards and Honors

David "Honeyboy" Edwards received many awards for his music and life story:

1996: Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
1998: Keeping the Blues Alive Award for his book, The World Don't Owe Me Nothing
1999: Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Classics of Blues Literature, for his book
2002: National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts
2005: Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year, 26th W. C. Handy Blues Awards
2007: Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year, 28th Blues Music Award
2008: Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album for Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas
2010: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
2010: Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts
2010: Lifetime Achievement Award, National Guitar Museum

Images for kids

Edwards and his band
Edwards at the Adams Avenue Roots Festival, San Diego, 2005
Edwards and Pinetop Perkins at the Master Musicians Festival, Somerset, Kentucky, July 19, 2008
Edwards performing with Devil in a Woodpile at the Hideout, Chicago