Mississippi American country-blues singer and guitarist John Hurt, real name John Smith Hurt, was born in Teoc, Mississippi, on July 3, 1893, and passed away in Grenada, Mississippi, on November 2, 1966.
Although he made his first recordings in the late 1920s, his greatest success and influence came when he was rediscovered in the early 1960s at the height of the American folk music revival.
Hurt learned how to play the guitar while still in elementary school in the small Mississippi town of Avalon, and after he stopped attending school at age 10, he started playing at community events.
Who did Mississippi John Hurt influence?
Hurt had an impact on a number of musicians, including New York guitar whiz Stephan Grossman, Minnesota folk vocalist Robert Zimmerman, and Virginia bluesman John Jackson.
Doc Watson, a legendary guitarist from North Carolina, and his late son Merle virtually always played one or two Mississippi John Hurt songs during their performances.
