Drink Small facts for kids

Drink Small, born on January 28, 1933, is an American musician. He plays the guitar and piano, sings, and writes songs. He is famous for his blues music, especially soul blues and electric blues. People often call him The Blues Doctor. His music mixes different styles like gospel and country music.

Growing Up and Music Beginnings

Drink Small was born in Bishopville, South Carolina. His family included many singers and musicians. They were also sharecroppers, meaning they farmed land owned by others. Drink taught himself to play the guitar when he was about six or seven. He started on his uncle's one-string guitar. He even made his own guitar using an old inner tube for strings! He also learned to play an old pump organ at home.

When he was eight, Drink had a serious back injury. He was thrown from a wagon and caught under its wheel. This injury meant he could no longer pick cotton. Instead, he spent his time listening to the radio. This helped him learn many songs on his guitar. Later, he formed a gospel group called the Six Stars. In high school, he sang in the glee club and with a quartet. He also performed with a professional gospel group, the Golden Five.

Drink Small's Music Career

After high school, Drink Small studied barbering. But he found it hard to cut hair all day and play music at night. So, he decided to become a full-time musician. In 1955, he moved to Columbia, South Carolina. There, he joined a gospel group called The Spiritualaires. They performed at famous places like the Apollo Theater in Harlem. They also appeared on a TV show and toured with singers like Sam Cooke.

Musical Style and Influences

Drink Small's music is a mix of many styles. He was influenced by artists like Tennessee Ernie Ford and Fats Domino. He also watched different music shows on TV, from Soul Train to The Lawrence Welk Show. His style combines Piedmont blues with gospel, rhythm and blues, and boogie-woogie. He also includes Delta and Chicago blues sounds.

In the 1950s, he was known as one of the best gospel guitarists. Later, he started playing blues music full-time. His fans from the gospel world helped him make this change. In 1959, he released his first blues single, "I Love You Alberta."

Performing and Recording

Drink Small has written hundreds of songs. He has released several albums over the years. In the 1970s, he even started his own record label, Bishopville Records. He has performed at many colleges and clubs in South Carolina.

He has also toured across the country and around the world. He played at big events like the Chicago Blues Festival. He opened shows for famous musicians such as Little Milton and Bobby "Blue" Bland. In 2010, he was featured in a TV show called Carolina Stories. As of 2015, he was on Blues Moon Radio every week.

Personal Life

Drink Small is married to Andrina Small. He named his favorite guitar Geraldine. He moved to Columbia, South Carolina, in 1955 and brought his mother with him. Even though he toured a lot, he preferred to stay close to home. This was because he had a fear of flying and wanted to care for his mother. She passed away in 1988.

Drink Small often needed other jobs to make enough money. He once sold fishing worms between his music gigs. He is known for his short, wise sayings, which people call "Drinkisms." One of his famous sayings is: "Rich people got the blues because they are trying to keep the money, poor people got the blues because they are trying to get some money, and Drink Small got the blues because I ain't got no money." He lost his eyesight in 2014.

Music Albums

Music Singles

Awards and Special Honors

Drink Small has received many awards and honors for his music:

• His 1988 album Blues Doctor: Live & Outrageous was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award.
• In 1990, he received the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award. This is South Carolina's highest honor for traditional arts.
• He was featured on the cover of Living Blues magazine in July 1992.
• In 1999, he was inducted into the South Carolina Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
• He was inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame in 2001.
• In 2012, his song "Living in a BBQ World" became the official song for the South Carolina Festival of Discovery.
• He received the Bobby "Blue" Bland Ambassador for the Blues Award in 2013.
• In 2015, he won the National Heritage Fellowship. This is the highest honor in the folk and traditional arts in the United States.
• The Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, declared July 30, 2015, as "Drink Small Day." This day is now celebrated every year.
• In 2018, a mural featuring Drink Small was painted in Columbia, South Carolina.
• In 2023, "Drink Small Day" was celebrated on February 4 at the South Carolina State Museum. This event honored his 90th birthday, and he performed there.

See also

• List of electric blues musicians
• List of soul-blues musicians