Eddie Son House - Bottleneck Blues Legend

_{Above photo credit Wikimedia Commons Public Domain}

The Early Years

Eddie Son House was born on a plantation on the Mississippi River Delta in March of 1902, give or take a year or two. At the age of fifteen he started preaching the gospel, then a few years later became the pastor of a Baptist church in Lyon, Mississippi. Although he was committed to the church and his religion, he had no interest in making the church his career. To earn money he worked at a steel plant, a horse farm and on the railroad, all the while preaching and continuing his pastoral duties. He didn't even own a guitar during these years.

Between preaching and working, there was drinking and up-to-no-good behavior for House. As a result of the latter, he shot and killed a man in a drunken bar fight. Claiming self-defense House was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary.

On the good side, House went to a performance of local guitar bluesman Willie Wilson. House was mesmerized by the man's talent and also intrigued by the small broken glass bottleneck on Wilson's finger. House decided at that moment he wanted to play guitar just like Willie Wilson, so he bought an old beat up guitar, took a few lessons from Wilson, the rest he picked up on his own.

It wasn't long before House was earning a living as a paid musician and recording artist for Paramount Records and Columbia Records.