Henry Qualls facts for kids

Henry Qualls (born July 8, 1934 – died December 7, 2003) was an American Texas and country blues guitarist and singer. He became famous later in his life. He was "discovered" in 1993 by the Dallas Blues Society. He released his only music album in 1994. After that, he traveled around the world, playing at many festivals.

The Dallas Observer newspaper said that Henry Qualls was a "purist's dream-come-true." This means he played blues music in a very traditional and pure way. He played songs by other famous blues artists like Jimmy Reed and Lowell Fulson. He also played his own songs. People said his guitar playing was powerful, like the old blues masters such as Son House.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Henry Qualls was born John Henry Miles in a small town called Elmo. This town is about forty miles east of Dallas. When he was a child, his mother married Scottie Moore Qualls. After that, he became known as Henry Lee Qualls.

He grew up in Cedar Grove, Texas. He also went to Wills Point High School. Henry learned to play the guitar from his grandmother. He even named his guitar Mabelene. At first, he played gospel music in his local church.

As a young man, Emmitt Williams taught him more about guitar. Henry would also travel to Dallas to watch famous blues musicians play. He saw artists like Lightnin' Hopkins, Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson, and Frankie Lee Sims.

Family Life and Unique Style

In 1955, Henry Qualls married Ethel Mae Cooper. They had eleven children together. Henry's music career was mostly a part-time job. During the day, he worked on farms around his home in Elmo. Sometimes, he mowed lawns in Dallas.

Guitar Player magazine wrote about Henry's special way of playing. He often played his guitar flat on his lap. He used a Tabasco sauce bottle as a slide. A slide is a smooth object that musicians use to slide along the guitar strings. This creates a unique sound.

His playing style was sometimes a bit shaky or "faltering." This made his music sound very old-fashioned. It reminded people of the early East Texas country blues sound.

Discovery and Later Career

A person from the Dallas Blues Society heard Henry Qualls playing outside his home. This person was very interested in Henry's unique style. Henry was almost sixty years old at the time. He became a local star, which surprised him very much.

Even though he was older, people convinced him to record an album. It was called Blues from Elmo, Texas. This album came out in 1994. It included songs by other artists like Lightnin' Hopkins and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. It also had Henry's own versions of songs like "Motherless Children" and "I Shall Not Be Moved". His music also appeared on other albums, like Blues Across America – The Dallas Scene.

Performing Around the World

Because of his album, Henry Qualls got to play at the Utrecht Blues Festival in Europe. Juke Blues magazine said he was a big surprise hit there. This led to many more concerts in Europe and the United States.

He played at famous events like the Long Beach Blues Festival (in 1996), the Chicago Blues Festival, and the King Biscuit Blues Festival. Even with all this new fame, Henry Qualls continued to live in his house in Elmo. His house was right next to the Texas and Pacific Railway train tracks.

He sometimes played in Deep Ellum and Fort Worth. But he generally did not like big cities. His quick rise to fame is told in a book called In Search of the Blues: A Journey to the Soul of Black Texas.

Final Years

On December 7, 2003, Henry Qualls passed away in a hospital in Dallas. He was 69 years old. He died from problems after surgery on his intestines. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Elmo. He was survived by his wife, Ethel, and nine of his children.

Discography

See also

• List of country blues musicians
• List of Texas blues musicians