Mississippi John Hurt

The Profile

Mississippi John Hurt (born John Smith Hurt) was an American country blues singer and guitarist from Avalon, Mississippi. He recorded for OKeh in 1928, was rediscovered during the early 1960s folk revival, and performed widely, including the Newport Folk Festival and The Tonight Show. Renowned for delicate, syncopated fingerpicking and a gentle vocal style, he recorded influential albums in the 1960s and died in 1966.

Known for intimate, syncopated fingerpicking and warm, understated vocals; distinct from rougher Delta blues. Recorded seminal 1928 OKeh sides (“Frankie,” “Stack O’ Lee,” “Spike Driver Blues,” “Candy Man”), later issued in anthologies; influenced folk and singer-songwriter traditions.

Two reviews celebrate Mississippi John Hurt’s intimate, tranquil country blues and exquisite fingerpicking. They spotlight the 1928 OKeh sides collected on Avalon Blues and the 1966 Vanguard Best Of. The writers contrast his gentle style with rougher Delta blues, praise songs like Frankie/Stack O’ Lee, Candy Man, and Spike Driver Blues, and recount his folk-revival rediscovery and lasting influence.