Lightnin' Wells
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Lightnin' Wells is an American Piedmont blues multi-instrumentalist and singer. He is a proficient musician and regularly plays various instruments in concert including the guitar, mandolin, harmonica, ukulele and banjo. At times he has performed as a
one-man band A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical or electronic contraptions. One-man bands also often sing while they perform. The simplest type of "one-man ban ...
. His style encompasses elements of the
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
,
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
, old-time, bluegrass and
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
. Mark Coltrain stated in ''
Living Blues ''Living Blues: The Magazine of the African American Blues Tradition'' is a bi-monthly magazine focused on blues music, and America's oldest blues periodical. The magazine was founded as a quarterly in Chicago in 1970 by Jim O'Neal and Amy van ...
'' that, "You won't find a more versatile musician around – able to move deftly between country blues, old-time banjo, and novelty tunes with a single pluck. Lightnin' Wells changes the past..." Wells has released six solo albums and worked for ten years on the board of directors at Music Maker Relief Foundation. His most recent recording was ''O Lightnin', Where Art Thou?'' (2017).


Biography

Michael Wells was born in
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, United States, and largely raised 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 ...
, where he has spent most of his life. In his early days, Wells regularly listened to the ''
Wheeling Jamboree The ''Wheeling Jamboree'' is the second-oldest country music radio broadcast in the United States after the ''Grand Ole Opry''. The Jamboree originated in 1933 in Wheeling, West Virginia on WWVA, the first radio station in West Virginia and a 5 ...
'' show on WWVA radio out of
Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in Ohio County, West Virginia, Ohio and Marshall County, West Virginia, Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The county seat of Ohio County, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mo ...
. His family relocated to
Goldsboro, North Carolina Goldsboro, originally Goldsborough, is a city in and the county seat of Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 33,657 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Me ...
in 1962, and there Wells discovered and gained a life-long interest in Piedmont blues and
old-time music Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, contra dance, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering ...
. He joined his first band, the Unknowns, at the age of thirteen, where he played the harmonica in an ensemble performing
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
inspired music. By the late 1960s, Wells had learned to play the guitar and initially tried to follow the work of artists in the
folk revival The American folk music revival began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Early folk music performers include Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Ewan MacColl (UK), Richard Dyer-Bennet, Oscar Brand, Jean Ritchie ...
movement, leading him to
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
chronologically backwards to
Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...
, then
Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and occas ...
and
Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter ( ; January 1888 or 1889 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the ...
. The first authentic Piedmont blues record he heard was a 78 recording of "Lookin' For My Woman," by
Blind Boy Fuller Fulton Allen (July 10, 1904 – February 13, 1941), known as Blind Boy Fuller, was an American blues guitarist and singer. Fuller was one of the most popular of the recorded Piedmont blues artists, along with Blind Blake, Josh White, and Budd ...
. Wells started performing professionally in the Chapel Hill area in the early 1970s. In addition to Fuller, Wells also studied the work of the
Reverend Gary Davis Gary D. Davis (April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972), known as Reverend Gary Davis and Blind Gary Davis, was a blues and gospel singer who was also proficient on the banjo, guitar and harmonica. Born in Laurens, South Carolina and blind since infanc ...
. As part of his ongoing musical education, Wells sought out still living Piedmont performers, which led him later to produce work by
Big Boy Henry Richard Leslie Henry (born May 26, 1921 – December 5, 2004), better known as Big Boy Henry, was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. His most notable recording was "Mr. President", a protest against cuts in social we ...
,
Algia Mae Hinton Algia Mae Hinton (née O'Neal; August 29, 1929 – February 8, 2018) was an American Piedmont blues guitarist and vocalist, based in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. Biography She was the youngest child of Alexander and Ollie ...
and
George Higgs George Higgs (March 9, 1930 – January 29, 2013) was an American Piedmont blues acoustic guitarist, harmonicist, singer and songwriter. He recorded three albums in his lifetime, although he spent over sixty years performing regularly, mainly ...
. In 1995, Wells made his own debut solo recording, ''Bull Frog Blues'', which was followed by ''Ragtime Millionaire'' (1998); both released on New Moon Records. "I'll Be Coming Home Every Saturday Night", written by Turner Foddrell was one of the tracks on ''Ragtime Millionaire''. By this time Wells was blending Piedmont and country blues utilizing a mixture of acoustic and resonator guitars, ukulele and harmonica. Wells had joined Music Maker in 1996, and in 2002 released his next album on that label. ''Ragged But Right'' included guest appearances by Cool John Ferguson on guitar and
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
on bass. Wells also began his ten-year spell on the board of directors at the Music Maker Relief Foundation. During this time Music Maker's assistance enabled Wells to perform at
Playa Zancudo Playa Zancudo is a village in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica near the Golfo Dulce. It has a population of approximately 450. Geography It is located 9.5 kilometers south of Golfito. Zancudo is located on a long and narrow peninsula, sometime ...
in Costa Rica, at Warehouse Blues and the
Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance is a biannual music and dance festival in the United States, held on the first Thursday thru Sunday in May and October in Pittsboro, North Carolina. The festival takes place on a venue whi ...
in North Carolina. ''Shake 'Em on Down'' (2008) gave Wells further opportunity to revisit some songs of the 1920s and produce an authentic sounding album. His journey has left him with hundreds of old pieces in his musical mind, and he discovered the work of
Floyd Council Floyd Council (September 2, 1911 – May 9, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, mandolin player, and singer. He was a practitioner of the Piedmont blues, which was popular in the southeastern United States in the 1920s and 1930s. He was som ...
to add to his repertoire. Wells was not tempted to pen his own material, despite having a university degree in English. In 2005, Wells traveled to
Boone, North Carolina Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters of the disaster and me ...
for the first Black Banjo Gathering where he accompanied Algia Mae Hinton. Over the years Wells has performed at The Great Blue Heron Music Festival,
Gathering of the Vibes Gathering of the Vibes (often abbreviated as GOTV) was an annual four-day music, camping and arts festival that celebrated the Grateful Dead and showcased a diverse variety of music. Over the course of the event, styles would often include funk, ...
(2002),
Chicago Blues Festival The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event held in June, that features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming. It is hosted by the Chicago, Illinois, City of Chicago Department of Cu ...
(2000), Hampton Acoustic Blues Revival (2006), Moulin Blues Festival (1996), the Bull Durham Blues Festival (1990, 1993, 1995, 1998, and 2000), Festival for the Eno, (1981 onwards), among many others. In 2008, Wells recorded ''Jump Little Children: Old Songs For Young Folks'', a collection of children's music. In addition, Wells has taught blues guitar across the United States, with his goal being to entertain and educate in presenting the unique American art form. He is a regular faculty member at the
Augusta Heritage Center Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, West Virginia, United States, is a non-profit organization which fosters the scholarly study and practice of traditional arts in music, dance, craft, and folklore. The program started in 1973 as a summer program ...
, Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival and Swannanoa Gathering. Wells is a
North Carolina Arts Council The North Carolina Arts Council is an organization in the U.S. state of North Carolina that provides grants to artists, musicians and arts organizations. The group's mission is "arts for all people." It was founded by executive order in 1964 by Go ...
and American Traditions National Roster (through the
Southern Arts Federation South Arts, formerly the Southern Arts Federation, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of six not-for-profit regional arts organizations funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). South Arts create partnerships and collaborations, ...
), touring artist. In 2016, Wells performed at Muddy Creek Music Hall in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...
. Lightnin' Wells currently resides in
Fountain, North Carolina Fountain is a town in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 385 at the 2020 census. The town is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. History The Robert J. Lang Jr ...
. A proposed 2015 documentary film, ''Straight-Six Blues'', which features Wells is still in post-production. In July 2015, Wells was on the same bill as Ironing Board Sam and Boo Hanks at a concert in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens,
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
, Durham, North Carolina. His latest album, ''O Lightnin', Where Art Thou?'' (2017), was issued by the Germany-based Blind Lemon Records. Wells played all of the instruments used on the collection. The tracks included Wells versions of
Mississippi John Hurt John Smith Hurt (March 8, 1893 – November 2, 1966), known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Biography Early years John Hurt was born in Teoc,Cohen, Lawrence (1996). Liner notes to ''Av ...
's "Pallet on the Floor,"
Jesse Fuller Jesse Fuller (March 12, 1896 – January 29, 1976) was an American one-man band musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues". Early life Fuller was born in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta, United States. He was sent by his moth ...
's "
San Francisco Bay Blues "San Francisco Bay Blues" is an American folk song and is generally considered to be the most famous composition by Jesse Fuller. Fuller first recorded the song in 1954, which was released by the World Song label in 1955. A " one-man band" renditi ...
" and
Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His singing, guitar playing and songwriting on his landmark 1936 and 1937 recordings have influenced later generations of musicians. Although his r ...
's "
Love in Vain "Love in Vain" (originally "Love in Vain Blues") is a blues song written by American musician Robert Johnson. Johnson's performancevocal accompanied by his finger-style acoustic guitar playinghas been described as "devastatingly bleak". He reco ...
".


Production work

*Big Boy Henry, "Mr. President/I Don't Need No Heater" 45 (Audio Arts),1983 * Big Boy Henry, "Mr. Ball Your Warehouse Is Burning Down" EP (Audio Arts), 1985 *Algia Mae Hinton, ''Piedmont Blues Traditions'', EP (Audio Arts), 1986 *Co-produced and performed on Big Boy Henry, ''Poor Man's Blues'' (New Moon 9508), 1995 *Algia Mae Hinton, ''Honey Babe: Blues, Folk Tunes and Gospel from North Carolina'' (Hin-Tone 82929), 1996


Discography


See also

*
List of Piedmont blues musicians The Piedmont blues (also known as Piedmont fingerstyle) is a type of blues music, characterized by a unique fingerpicking method on the guitar in which a regular, alternating-thumb bassline pattern supports a melody using the treble strings. Th ...


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Lightnin Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues singers American male singers American blues harmonica players American blues mandolinists American ukulele players American banjoists Guitarists from West Virginia Singers from West Virginia Blues musicians from West Virginia Guitarists from North Carolina Singers from North Carolina Folk musicians from North Carolina Piedmont blues musicians One-man bands