Richard "Hacksaw" Harney facts for kids

Richard "Hacksaw" Harney (born July 16, 1902 – died December 25, 1973) was an American Delta blues musician. He was known for playing both the guitar and the piano. Richard Harney first recorded music in 1928 with his brother Maylon. They played guitar for other singers like Pearl Dickson and Walter Rhodes.

Even though he was very talented, Harney did not record music often. His only solo album, Sweet Man, came out much later in 1972. Many musicians thought he was the best guitarist in the Delta region. His unique finger-picking style was different from other blues players.

Richard Harney was a shy person. Also, a sad family event and a speech problem kept him from becoming famous. He spent most of his life working as a piano tuner and repair person.

Early Life and Music Career

Richard Harney was born in Money, Mississippi, United States. His parents were Mary Howard and Dick Harney. His father, a church deacon, encouraged his children to play music. But they had to practice outside the family home.

By age 12, Richard was playing music on street corners. He performed in Greenville, Mississippi, with his older brother, Joe. In the early 1920s, Richard Harney played bass in a jazz band in Cincinnati. He had grown up in Greenwood and Marvell, Arkansas. Later, he lived in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Playing with His Brother

While living in the Delta area, Harney formed a guitar duo with his brother, Maylon. People knew them by their family nicknames, Can and Pet. Richard's nickname, Can, came from his love for candy as a child.

In December 1927, they recorded for Columbia Records. They played backup for singer Walter Rhodes and blues singer Pearl Dickson. Columbia Records called the group "Walter Rhodes with Pet and Can."

They recorded four songs with each singer. But only two songs from each session were released. After a sad family event involving his brother, Harney tried to play both guitar parts himself. This, along with his jazz experience, made his guitar playing very complex. He played in a Piedmont fingerstyle blues way. He also mixed in ragtime music, similar to Blind Blake.

"Hacksaw" and His Travels

Richard Harney mostly played music on street corners and in juke joints. He also spent some time on the King Biscuit Time radio show in Helena, Arkansas. But his main job was tuning and repairing pianos. He worked in and around Memphis, Tennessee.

This is how he got his nickname, "Hacksaw." According to musician Pinetop Perkins, Harney always carried a small suitcase. It was full of tools, including a hacksaw. Perkins said Harney could even make new piano parts on the spot. He used almost any materials he could find. Harney's business card said he repaired sewing machines too.

As he traveled for his work, Harney met many famous blues musicians. He admired Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charley Patton. He also played with Robert Lockwood Jr., Robert Johnson, and Big Joe Williams. Lockwood believed Harney knew Robert Johnson well. He also thought Harney greatly influenced Johnson's music. Lockwood even said Harney was the only musician who could play as well as Johnson.

Sonny Boy Nelson was another musician inspired by Harney. In his book, The World Don't Owe Me Nothing, David "Honeyboy" Edwards said he played with Harney. He also mentioned that Tommy McClennan got the song "Crosscut Saw" from Harney. Big Joe Williams once said about other blues players, "You ain't heard nothing yet. Wait 'til you meet Hacksaw."

Harney was also a very talented pianist. But his shyness and speech problem sometimes led to people making fun of him. Because of this, and not many recordings, Harney remained mostly unknown.

Later Years and Recordings

In 1969, a blues researcher named Backwards Sam Firk found Richard Harney in Memphis. Harney no longer owned a guitar and had not played for 20 years. Despite his shyness, he said, "I was good 20 years back. My match was hard to find on guitar from then on back."

He was filmed and made some demo recordings for Adelphi Records. By 1971, Harney started playing again at workshops and music festivals. In February 1972, Harney recorded ten songs at Adelphi Studios. These songs were released on his album, Sweet Man.

Most of the songs on Sweet Man were fast instrumentals. They had a swinging style, good for dancing. On some songs, Harney made his guitar sound like a mandolin. He did this by playing single notes or chords very quickly. Most of the songs on Sweet Man were written by Harney. There was one traditional song and one by Kansas Joe McCoy.

It is likely that Harney played guitar on Houston Stackhouse's album, Cryin' Won't Help You. It was recorded in the same studio and month as Harney's Sweet Man.

Harney had a minor stroke, but he still toured with Stackhouse in 1972 and 1973.

Musicians' Thoughts on Harney

Many other musicians spoke highly of Richard Harney's skills.

On October 6, 2000, Robert Lockwood Jr. said, "Hacksaw was an octopus! That's the only way to explain how he could play so many notes at once." He added that Robert Johnson learned from Hacksaw. Lockwood also said Harney was just as good on the piano.

In 1969, Big Joe Williams would often say, "Yeah, _____'s good, but Hacksaw could cut him in a minute!" This meant Harney was better than almost anyone.

In an interview, Lockwood said, "I really think that Hacksaw was a big influence with Robert [Johnson]. He was the only somebody who could compete with him... He played the guitar very, very well."

The notes for Harney's album said, "If this was rusty playing, we can only imagine what men like Big Joe Williams, Robert Lockwood and Robert Johnson heard in the 1930s." They noted that Harney had a very complex sound. This was partly because of his time with a jazz orchestra. It was also due to meeting many musicians while working as a piano tuner.

Death and Legacy

Richard Harney died on Christmas Day, December 25, 1973. He was 71 years old. He passed away in Jackson, Mississippi, from stomach cancer.

His Burial Place

In late 1973, Harney was buried in an unmarked grave. This was at the Hinds County Cemetery near Raymond, Mississippi. In 2003, a blues historian named Marcia Weaver found the graveyard. She found that Harney's name was misspelled in the records. He was buried at Lot No. 71.

A non-profit group called Killer Blues helped get a grave marker for him. It was placed on April 28, 2012. Harney's daughter, Rose Mary Harney, attended the ceremony. Sadly, his son, Richard Harney, Jr., had passed away earlier in 1986.

Discography

Albums

Selected Compilation Album Appearances

See also

• List of Delta blues musicians