Peetie Wheatstraw facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peetie Wheatstraw
The only known photograph of Wheatstraw
Background information
Birth name	William Bunch
Born	(1902-12-21)December 21, 1902 Either Ripley, Tennessee or Cotton Plant, Arkansas
Died	December 21, 1941(1941-12-21) (aged 39) East St Louis, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	St. Louis blues
Instruments	Piano, guitar
Years active	1930–1941

William Bunch (born December 21, 1902 – died December 21, 1941) was an American musician. He was famous as Peetie Wheatstraw. He was a very important blues singer in the 1930s.

Early Life and Music Career

William Bunch was the son of James and Mary Bunch. Some reports say he was born in Ripley, Tennessee. But many people believed he came from Arkansas. After he died, his body was sent to Cotton Plant, Arkansas, for burial. Another blues musician, Big Joe Williams, said this was his hometown.

Musicians Henry Townsend and Teddy Darby remembered Wheatstraw moving to East St. Louis, Illinois, in the late 1920s. He was already good at playing the guitar. He was learning to play the piano. The only known photo of him shows him holding a special guitar. But he played the piano on most of his songs.

He often played at a club called Lovejoy in East St. Louis. He also played at a music spot above a barbershop. By the early 1930s, Wheatstraw was one of the most popular singers there. People admired his unique piano style.

Wheatstraw started recording music in 1930. He was so popular that he kept recording during the Great Depression. This was a time when fewer blues records were made. The blues musician Charlie Jordan helped Wheatstraw start recording. He worked with Vocalion Records and Decca Records.

In August 1930, he recorded "Tennessee Peaches Blues" with another artist. After this first song, Wheatstraw recorded many more. He made 21 songs in two years. These included "Don't Feel Welcome Blues" and "School Days." He did not record any songs between March 1932 and March 1934. During this time, he made his music style even better.

For the rest of his life, he recorded more songs than almost anyone else. He recorded 161 songs in total. Only four other blues artists recorded more before World War II. In clubs in St. Louis and East St. Louis, he was very popular. Only Walter Davis was as popular. He mostly played in these cities to make records.

His Stage Character

When William Bunch came to St. Louis, he changed his name. He created a new identity as "Peetie Wheatstraw." This name had old folk meanings. Later writers said that many people copied his name.

Most of his records were released under special names. He was called "Peetie Wheatstraw, the Devil's Son-in-Law." He was also known as "Peetie Wheatstraw, the High Sheriff from Hell." He wrote songs that showed off this bold, powerful character. His strong attitude made some people compare him to modern-day rap artists.

African-American music has a tradition of "praise songs." These songs talk about how great the singer is. Many of Wheatstraw's songs were about himself. He sang about himself with confidence, humor, and sometimes a bit of a threat. Musician Henry Townsend said Wheatstraw was like his stage character. He was a "jive-type person."

Music Style

Wheatstraw was part of a group of musicians in St. Louis. They knew each other and played music together. He was also a recording star. This meant he had to meet the demands of record producers. Some critics found his music style to be too similar.

But Wheatstraw had some very clear and special ways of playing. Most of his piano songs started with the same eight-bar intro. His singing style was even more unique. People often called it "lazy" because he didn't always say words clearly. But it was also described as "gruff." The most special part was his high-pitched cry, "Ooh, well, well." He would often add this sound in the middle of a blues song.

What made Wheatstraw's songs stand out most were his lyrics. Like other popular singers, he sang about city life for African Americans. Some of his famous songs were about the end of Prohibition. He also sang about government projects and clearing old neighborhoods. He recorded over 160 songs for Vocalion, Decca Records, and Bluebird Records.

Wheatstraw was known for his relaxed style. He was good at singing and writing songs. He was an average player of instruments. His songs were popular with working-class people. This was because he sang about social issues. These included unemployment and public help. He also wrote about tricky women. And, true to his stage name, he sang about death and spooky things. Almost all his songs included his famous "Ooh, well well."

Wheatstraw sometimes played the guitar on his records. But he usually played the piano. Other guitarists often played with him. These included Kokomo Arnold and Lonnie Johnson. He also played with pianists like Champion Jack Dupree. On some of his last recordings, Wheatstraw played jazz-style music. He worked with Lil Hardin Armstrong and the trumpet player Jonah Jones.

Influence on Other Musicians

Wheatstraw had a huge influence in the 1930s. One clear example is Robert Johnson. Many people think Johnson was the most important blues musician of that time. Johnson often remade songs by other popular artists. He used many of Wheatstraw's songs. For example, Wheatstraw's "Police Station Blues" was the basis for Johnson's "Terraplane Blues." Wheatstraw's nickname "Devil's Son-in-Law" also fit Johnson's similar image.

Wheatstraw was one of the first blues singers to play the piano. You can see parts of his style in later artists. These include Champion Jack Dupree and Jerry Lee Lewis. He also recorded many songs with the famous Kokomo Arnold. Arnold wrote the well-known blues song "Milk Cow Blues."

The film Petey Wheatstraw is about an entertainer. He promises to marry the Devil’s daughter. This makes him the "Devil’s son-in-law." This is like one of Wheatstraw’s popular songs.

His Death

Wheatstraw was very successful when he died too soon. His last known songs were "Mister Livingood" and "Bring Me Flowers While I'm Living." He recorded them on November 25, 1941. On December 21, 1941, his 39th birthday, he and some friends went for a drive. They wanted to find more drinks. They asked his friend, the blues singer Teddy Darby, to come. But Darby's wife would not let him go.

Wheatstraw got into the car with Big Joe Williams and two other friends. One of them was driving. Luckily, Williams asked to be dropped off downtown. He wanted to catch a streetcar home. The car was going very fast, just a block from Wheatstraw's house. It hit a parked freight train. All three men were thrown from the car. Wheatstraw's two friends died right away. He died in the hospital five hours later.

Some people say his death was not noticed much. But the accident was reported in newspapers in St. Louis and East St. Louis. Music magazines also printed news about his death. The magazine Down Beat put the story of the accident on its front page. It also praised Wheatstraw's career. Wheatstraw was buried in Crowder Cemetery, near Cotton Plant, Arkansas.

See also

In Spanish: Peetie Wheatstraw para niños