Arthur Jackson, known as Peg Leg Sam (December 28, 1911 – October 27, 1977) was an American

country blues Country blues (also folk blues, rural blues, backwoods blues, or downhome blues) is one of the earliest forms of blues music. The mainly solo vocal with acoustic fingerstyle guitar accompaniment developed in the rural Southern United States in t ...

harmonicist, singer and comedian. He recorded "Fox Chase" and "John Henry" and worked in

medicine show Medicine shows were touring acts (traveling by truck, horse, or wagon teams) that peddled "miracle cure" patent medicines and other products between various entertainments. They developed from European Charlatan, mountebank shows and were common ...

s. He gained his nickname following an accident whilst

hobo A hobo is a migrant worker in the United States. Hoboes, tramps, and bums are generally regarded as related, but distinct: a hobo travels and is willing to work; a tramp travels, but avoids work if possible; a bum neither travels nor works. Et ...

ing in 1930.

Biography

Arthur Jackson was born in

Jonesville, South Carolina Jonesville is a town in Union County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 911 at the 2010 United States Census. History The McWhirter House and Means House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Geography Jones ...

, the fourth of six children of David Jackson, a farmer and native of Virginia, and Emma Jackson. His paternal great-grandmother, Racheal Williams, was born 1810 in Virginia and was commonly referred to as a mulatto. She may have had a

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

mother or father (more likely a white father, as would have been more typical of the period). Peg Leg Sam taught himself to play harmonica as a small child. He left home at the age of 12 and never stopped roving. He shined shoes, worked as a houseboy, cooked on ships, hoboed, and then made a living

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuity, gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performa ...

on street corners. He lost his leg in 1930, trying to hop a train but made a peg out of a fencepost, bound it to his stub with a leather belt, and kept moving.Cooper, Kent. Liner notes to ''Early in the Morning''. He joined the

circuit in 1937, often performing with Pink Anderson. His ability to play two harmonicas at once (while one went in and out of his mouth) made him an attraction; he could also play notes on a harmonica with his nose. Peg Leg Sam married Theo S. Jackson, who was 18 years his senior and the mother of Herbert Miller and Katherine Miller, both natives of

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. Peg Leg Sam gave his last medicine-show performance in 1972 in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

but continued to appear at music festivals in his final years. In 1973, his childhood friend, Henry "Rufe" Johnson, supplied both guitar and vocals, as did Baby Tate, to a couple of tracks on Peg Leg Sam's album, ''Medicine Show Man''. He died in Jonesville in October 1977, at the age of 65.

Documentary

A biography of Peg Leg Sam, ''Born for Hard Luck'', was released by Tom Davenport in 1976. An excerpt from the documentary appears in the French film, '' Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain''.

Discography

* ''Medicine Show Man'' ( Trix Records, 1973) * ''The Last Medicine Show'' (featuring Chief Thundercloud) ( Flyright Records, 1974) * ''Joshua'' (featuring Louisiana Red) (1975) * ''Early in the Morning'' (featuring Louisiana Red) (1996) * ''Kickin' It'' (2000)

References

External links

Film: Born for Hard Luck: Peg Leg Sam JacksonIbiblio.orgAllaboutjazz.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sam, Peg Leg 1911 births 1977 deaths American blues singers American blues harmonica players Singers from South Carolina People from Union County, South Carolina 20th-century American singers

Biography

Documentary

Discography

See also

References

External links