T-Model Ford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
T-Model Ford
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T-Model Ford at Tea Bazaar in Charlottesville, Virginia, on March 1, 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Lewis Carter Ford |
| Born | June 24, 1923 (probable) Forest, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | July 16, 2013 (aged 90) Greenville, Mississippi, United States |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1997–2013 |
| Labels | Fat Possum, Alive Naturalsound |
| Associated acts | Gravelroad |
James Lewis Carter Ford (born around June 24, 1923 – died July 16, 2013) was an American blues musician. He was known by his stage name, T-Model Ford. He started his music career in his early 70s. He recorded for Fat Possum Records and later for Alive Naturalsound Records. His music style mixed the raw sound of Delta blues with Chicago blues and juke joint blues. Juke joints were informal places where people gathered to listen to music and dance.
Contents
Life Story of T-Model Ford
T-Model Ford was born in Forest, Mississippi. His exact birth date is not certain, but it was likely around June 24, 1923. He lived in Greenville, Mississippi for a long time.
Early Life and Work
Ford worked many different jobs from a young age. He plowed fields and worked at a sawmill. Later, he became a foreman at a lumber company and then a truck driver. He learned to play the guitar when he was older. His fifth wife gave him a guitar as a gift. Ford taught himself to play without reading music. He wanted to sound like guitarists he admired, such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.
Music Career and Tours
Ford started playing music in juke joints and other places. For a while, he opened shows for the famous blues musician Buddy Guy. In 1995, a record company called Fat Possum Records discovered him. He released five albums with them between 1997 and 2008.
In 1997, T-Model Ford was in a short film called JUKE. It was about blues musicians.
From 2008, Ford often played with a band called GravelRoad from Seattle. They first played together at a music festival in Minnesota. GravelRoad helped Ford on a ten-show tour across the United States.
Later Years and Health
Ford had a pacemaker put in after one of his tours. He continued to perform with GravelRoad in 2008, 2009, and 2010. He had a stroke in 2010, which made it hard to move his right hand. Even so, he finished a successful tour with GravelRoad. They played at the Pickathon Festival and the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in New York.
GravelRoad played on Ford's albums The Ladies Man (2010) and Taledragger (2011). Both albums were released by Alive Naturalsound Records.
Ford had another stroke in 2012, which limited his public performances. However, he was still able to play at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in October of that year.
T-Model Ford passed away on July 16, 2013, at his home in Greenville. He died from breathing problems after a long illness. The Mount Zion Memorial Fund helped place a headstone for him at Green Lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery. The ceremony was on May 31, 2014.
Music Albums
Here are the albums T-Model Ford released:
- Pee-Wee Get My Gun - 1997 (Fat Possum)
- You Better Keep Still - 1999 (Fat Possum)
- She Ain't None of Your'n - 2000 (Fat Possum)
- Bad Man - 2002 (Fat Possum)
- Don't Get Out Talkin' It - 2008 (Fat Possum)
- Jack Daniel Time - 2008 (Mudpuppy)
- The Ladies Man - 2010 (Alive Naturalsound)
- Taledragger - 2011 (Alive Naturalsound)
See also
In Spanish: T-Model Ford para niños
