James “Snooky” Pryor passed away October
19th, 2006
Snooky Pryor was a true
pioneer of the postwar Blues sound. Born in Lambert, Mississippi
on September 15, 1921, James Edward Pryor took up the harp at the
age of 14 despite the objections of his minister father, copping
licks from old John Lee "Sonny Boy Williamson 78's. Snooky
Pryor helped lay the groundwork for Chicago's electrified, small
band Blues.
Stationed with the army
outside Chicago in 1940, Snooky jammed on weekends with the likes
of Sonny Boy and Homesick James and played on the Maxwell Street
scene. 1945 saw his musical career begin in earnest. In 1948, he
made his recording debut with "Telephone Blues" on the
tiny Planet label, now considered one of the earliest postwar
Chicago blues classics. He recorded intermittently throughout the
'50s for J.O.B., Parrot, and Vee Jay, and with his natural,
swinging harp sound, was also highly in demand as a session
musician, playing on sides with Sunnyland Slim, Floyd Jones,
Homesick James, and others of the "Maxwell Street
School". His other now venerated recordings include
"Someone To Love Me", "Snooky and Moody's
Boogie", and "Judgment Day".
An extremely devout and
principled man, he became disillusioned with the music business
and retired to downstate Illinois for most of the '60s and '70s to
pursue carpentry, fishing, and to see after his large family.
Finally, a series of successful European tours lured him back to
performing regularly. With his children grown, Snooky found the
time to write new material. As the demand for his personal
appearances both in the United States and abroad increased it
forced Snooky out of semi-retirement.
