Sampson "Buddy" Pittman (March 17, 1900 – June 10, 1945) was an American

Delta blues Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of the s ...

guitarist, singer and songwriter. His only known works were recorded alongside fellow Delta blues musician Calvin Frazier by the American folklorist

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music during the 20th century. He was a musician, folklorist, archivist, writer, scholar, political activ ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, in 1938.

Biography

Pittman was born in

Joiner, Arkansas Joiner is a city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 498 as of the 2020 census, down from 576 at the 2010 census. History Conflicting histories point to Joiner originally being settled in the 1880's by two dif ...

, United States in 1900. He was the son of David Pittman and Evelyn (nee Powell) Wellchance Pittman Harrell. It is apparent from his songs "I Been Down in the Circle Before" and "Levee Camp Story", that he worked as a construction hand on the Laconia Circle Levee near Snow Lake, Arkansas, as a young man. He lived near

Blytheville, Arkansas Blytheville is one of two county seat, county seats of and the largest city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. It is approximately north of West Memphis, Arkansas, West Memphis. The population was 13,40 ...

, before moving to

, around 1936. Pittman died on June 10, 1945, in

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township, ...

, and was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw.

1938 recording

Samson was recorded by folklorist

, during three sessions between 15 October – 1 November 1938. During these sessions, Pittman accompanied Calvin Frazier on guitar on twelve recordings and sang on ten of his own original recordings. The Frazier-Pittman recordings were released by

Flyright Records Flyright Records is a British record label incorporated in 1970 by Mike Leadbitter, Simon Napier, and Bruce Bastin. It specializes in reissues of American blues artists, but has issued some jazz by British musicians and some American jazz di ...

in 1980 on the album ''I'm In The Highway Man''. Pittman's tracks alone were compiled into the 1992 album ''The Devil is Busy'' by

Laurie Records Laurie Records was an American record label established in New York City in 1958, by brothers Robert and Gene Schwartz, and Allan I. Sussel. Among the recording artists on Laurie's roster were Dion and the Belmonts (both together and as separa ...

Discography

*''The Devil is Busy'', (

, 1992)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pittman, Sampson 1900 births 1945 deaths Blues musicians from Arkansas Songwriters from Arkansas American blues singers American blues guitarists American male guitarists Detroit blues musicians Singers from Arkansas People from Mississippi County, Arkansas 20th-century American singers 20th-century American guitarists Guitarists from Arkansas 20th-century American male singers American male songwriters 20th-century American songwriters