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Guitar Shorty (John Henry Fortescue) Alone In His Field
Released: 1973(LP)/1995(CD)
Label: Trix Records
Format : [email protected]
Not to be confused with the other Guitar Shorty, David William Kearney,(born September 8, 1939, Houston, Texas, United States)
John Henry Fortescue was born in Bellhaven, N.C. on January 23, 1923. In 1952 he recorded two sides for the Savoy label under the name of "Hootin' Owl" that were unissued at the time. One of them "I Love That Woman" later appeared on a Flyright CD compilation from 1992.("East Coast Jukebox") He was recorded by David McLean for Flyright in the early 1970's for his first LP "Carolina Slide Guitar".
Fortescue was known to have an ongoing battle with the bottle, and was also known to wax a lot of tall tales about his life. He claimed that he had recorded at least fifty sides in New York City, was Elvis Presley's guitar instructor, (McLean admitted that he could perform some "dead on" Elvis impersonations), and he also claimed that he had performed with The Beatles. In reality, Fortescue acutally divided his life working in the fields around his home, working as an apprentice for a house-builder, drinking and playing blues on the street, and playing gospel music in church with his wife Sara singing. The owner of Trix Records Pete Lowry and McLean recorded this album, a somewhat uneven mix of gospel and bawdy blues numbers, some stretching to six to eight minutes in length. Lowry commented "Well, I think we got enough out of him for one more album". There were other recordings by him that appeared by him on two Flyright LP compilations, some of them recorded live on stage. Fortescue passed away in Rocky Mount, N.C. on May 26, 1976, probably never overcoming his own personal demons in life.
LP Front
Tracklist :
01. Easter Blues (6:12)
02. Boogie, Now (4:47)
03. Don't Cry Baby (3:33)
04. Like A Damn Fool (5:46)
05. Jessie Jones (4:01)
06. Whistling Blues (2:49)
07. Near The Cross (3:52)
08. Pull Your Dress Down (8:05)
09. Working Hard (6:48 )
10. Now Tell Me Baby (3:45)
11. Shorty's Talking Boogie (4:51)
John Henry Fortescue circa 1971-1972
Recorded in Elm City North Carolina
Tracks : 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, and 11 on 10 October 1972
Tracks : 5, 7, 8 on 27 October 1972
Tracks : 1, 9 on 23 April 1973
[size=4]CD Front
