Guitar Nubbit facts for kids

Alvin Hankerson (born November 23, 1923 – died June 30, 1995) was an American blues musician. He was better known by his stage name, Guitar Nubbit. He played the guitar and sang blues music. His most famous song was "Georgia Chain Gang". It was first released in 1962.

Alvin was the uncle of Dorris Henderson. She was a folk music singer and played the autoharp.

Life of Guitar Nubbit

Alvin Hankerson was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When he was three years old, a hurricane caused him to lose the tip of his right thumb. This is how he got his nickname, Nubbit. Sometimes people just called him Nub.

He spent most of his childhood in Georgia. In 1945, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts. He tried to learn guitar by himself. But he gave up in 1949.

Five years later, in 1954, he could afford guitar lessons. He learned from Bill Bryant, a music teacher. Guitar Nubbit became very good at playing the guitar. He then started performing his own songs in local places. He also worked as a barber during the day.

Music Career and Songs

In 1962, Guitar Nubbit recorded his first songs. These were for a small record company called Bluestown Records. His first song released was "Evil Woman Blues." The other side of the record had "Laura." These were recorded in Boston.

Soon after, he released his most well-known song, "Georgia Chain Gang." The other song on that record was "Hard Road." He recorded more songs in 1962 and 1963. But many of these were not released until years later.

In 1965, he released "Big Leg Woman." This was a cover version of a song by another artist, Blind Boy Fuller. Guitar Nubbit's music became popular with some audiences. This was during a time when blues music was becoming popular again. This period was called the blues revival.

However, his songs often sounded similar. Even though he played in his local folk scene, he became less well-known. Some efforts were made to help his career. An EP (a record with more songs than a single but fewer than an album) was released in 1971. But all the songs on it were from earlier recordings.

In 1989, a special record called Re-Living the Legend! was released. It had seven songs. A collection of songs called Blues Town Story, Vol. 1 came out in 1998. It included some songs that had never been released before.

Guitar Nubbit passed away in June 1995. He was 71 years old and died in Boston.

Discography

Singles and EPs

Compilation albums