Happy Birthday, Big Boy

Arthur Big By Crudup, in Forrest, Mississippi in 1905.

By 1939 Crudup was staying in Chicago barely working as a solo musician. Lester Melrose allegedly found him while he was living in a packing crate, introduced him to Tampa Red and signed him to a recording contract with RCA Victor’s Bluebird label.  By the 1950′s he was touring the country with the big names.  He also recorded under the names Elmer James and Percy Lee Crudup.