Barbecue Bob (Robert Hicks, Walnut Grove, Georgia, September 11, 1902 – Lit… Read Full Bio ↴Barbecue Bob (Robert Hicks, Walnut Grove, Georgia, September 11, 1902 – Lithonia, Georgia, October 21, 1931) was an American Piedmont blues musician. He used a bottleneck regularly on his 12-string guitar, playing in an elemental style that relied on an open Spanish tuning reminiscent of Charley Patton. He had a strong voice that he embellished with growling and falsetto, and a percussive singing style.
His nickname came from the fact that he was a cook in a barbecue restaurant. One of the two extant photographs of Bob show him playing his guitar while wearing a full length white apron and cook's hat.
He and his brother, Charlie Hicks, together with Curley Weaver, were taught how to play the guitar by Curley's mother, Savannah "Dip" Weaver. Bob began playing the 6-string guitar but picked up the 12-string guitar after moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 1923–1924. He became one of the prominent performers of the newly developing early Atlanta blues style.
In Atlanta, Hicks worked a variety of jobs, playing music on the side. While working at Tidwells' Barbecue in a north Atlanta suburb, Hicks came to the attention of Columbia Records talent scout Dan Hornsby. Hornsby recorded him and decided to use Hicks's job as a gimmick, having him pose in chef's whites and hat for publicity photos and dubbing him "Barbecue Bob".
During his short career he recorded 68 78-rpm sides. He recorded his first side, "Barbecue Blues", in March 1927. The record quickly sold 15,000 copies and made him the best selling artist for Columbia up to that date. Despite this initial success, it was not until his second recording session, in New York during June 1927, that he firmly established himself on the race market. At this session he recorded "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues", a song inspired by the major floods taking place in Mississippi at that time. This song, as well as his other blues releases, gained considerable popularity, and his records sold much better than those of other local blues musicians.
The two part duet with crosstalk, "It Won't Be Long Now" was recorded with his brother Charlie (a/k/a Charlie Lincoln, or Laughing Charlie) in Atlanta on November 5, 1927. In April 1928 Bob recorded two sides with the female vocalist Nellie Florence, whom he had known since childhood, and also produced "Mississippi Low Levee Blues", a sequel to "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues". In April 1930, he recorded "We Sure Got Hard Times Now", which contains bleak references to the early effects of The Depression. Although Barbecue Bob remained predominantly a blues musician, he also recorded a few traditional and spiritual songs including "When the Saints Go Marching In", "Poor Boy, Long Ways from Home" and "Jesus' Blood Can Make Me Whole".
Barbecue Bob also recorded as a member of The Georgia Cotton Pickers in December 1930, a group that included guitarist Curley Weaver and harmonica player Buddy Moss. As a group they recorded a handful of sides including their own adaptation of Blind Blake's "Diddie Wa Diddie" (recorded as "Diddle-Da-Diddle") and the Mississippi Sheiks' "Sitting on Top of the World" (recorded as "I'm On My Way Down Home"). These were the last recordings that Bob recorded.
He died in Lithonia, Georgia, of a combination of tuberculosis and pneumonia brought on by influenza, at the age of 29, on October 21, 1931. His recording of "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues" (about the 1927 flood) was apparently played at his graveside before burial.
Bob developed a "flailing" or "frailing" style of playing guitar more often associated with the traditional clawhammer banjo (as did his brother, and, initially, Curley Weaver). He used a bottleneck regularly on his 12-string guitar, playing in an elemental style that relied on an open Spanish tuning reminiscent of Charley Patton. He had a strong voice that he embellished with growling and falsetto, and a percussive singing style.
Bob had some influence on Atlanta blues musicians such as the young Buddy Moss (who played harmonica with him on The Georgia Cotton Pickers recordings), but his way of playing was quickly overshadowed by the finger-picked Piedmont blues style that rose in popularity by the late 1920s/early 30s as can be heard in the development of the recordings of Curley Weaver.
Bob's elder brother, Charley, also played blues and was recorded by Columbia under the name "Laughing" Charley Lincoln. However, he never received the same acclaim as his brother.
Robert Hicks was an extrovert young man of 24 when Columbia's Dan Hornsby arranged his first recording session in March 1927, and had only moved into Atlanta from the countryside a few years before. When he recorded He had learned guitar, along with their friend Curley Weaver, from Curley's mother; all three played in a similar style, favouring the big, booming sound of the 12-string guitar, and relishing the contrast of pulsing bass riffs with the whine of a bottleneck on the treble strings. Barbecue Blues was a good seller, but it was at his second session, in New York in June 1927, that Bob firmly established himself with black record buyers, and thus with Columbia; Mississippi Heavy Water Blues, inspired by the catastrophic floods that had occurred that very month, was a considerable seller, and as a result Robert became Atlanta's most-recorded blues singer of the 20s. It was probably his success that persuaded Columbia to record both his brother Charlie and, in 1928, Curley Weaver.
From the first, Barbecue Bob's music was instantly recognisable, both for the characteristic guitar style and for his warm, nasal singing voice. He could sound fiercely involved with his material, as on Barbecue Blues, ironically detached, as he did when performing Mama You Don't Suit Me!, or crushed by rejection, alike on Crooked Woman Blues and the traditionally based How Long Pretty Mama. The two-part It Won't Be Long Now, in crosstalk and duet with Charlie, is probably an example of the kind of material Robert performed on the medicine show with which he is known to have visited the small town of Waycross, in southwest Georgia, about which he made up a blues.
Barbecue Bob's lyrics are remarkable for their blending of traditional formulae with a wry originality that is all his own. He was well acquainted with traditional songs; the content of Barbecue Blues and Motherless Chile Blues is almost proverbial, and the session where he cut versions of two well-known gospel songs also produced Easy Rider Don't You Deny My Name and a stunning account of Poor Boy A Long Ways From Home. Barbecue Bob rapidly impressed himself on his fans' minds as sharp, clever and original.
His nickname came from the fact that he was a cook in a barbecue restaurant. One of the two extant photographs of Bob show him playing his guitar while wearing a full length white apron and cook's hat.
He and his brother, Charlie Hicks, together with Curley Weaver, were taught how to play the guitar by Curley's mother, Savannah "Dip" Weaver. Bob began playing the 6-string guitar but picked up the 12-string guitar after moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 1923–1924. He became one of the prominent performers of the newly developing early Atlanta blues style.
In Atlanta, Hicks worked a variety of jobs, playing music on the side. While working at Tidwells' Barbecue in a north Atlanta suburb, Hicks came to the attention of Columbia Records talent scout Dan Hornsby. Hornsby recorded him and decided to use Hicks's job as a gimmick, having him pose in chef's whites and hat for publicity photos and dubbing him "Barbecue Bob".
During his short career he recorded 68 78-rpm sides. He recorded his first side, "Barbecue Blues", in March 1927. The record quickly sold 15,000 copies and made him the best selling artist for Columbia up to that date. Despite this initial success, it was not until his second recording session, in New York during June 1927, that he firmly established himself on the race market. At this session he recorded "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues", a song inspired by the major floods taking place in Mississippi at that time. This song, as well as his other blues releases, gained considerable popularity, and his records sold much better than those of other local blues musicians.
The two part duet with crosstalk, "It Won't Be Long Now" was recorded with his brother Charlie (a/k/a Charlie Lincoln, or Laughing Charlie) in Atlanta on November 5, 1927. In April 1928 Bob recorded two sides with the female vocalist Nellie Florence, whom he had known since childhood, and also produced "Mississippi Low Levee Blues", a sequel to "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues". In April 1930, he recorded "We Sure Got Hard Times Now", which contains bleak references to the early effects of The Depression. Although Barbecue Bob remained predominantly a blues musician, he also recorded a few traditional and spiritual songs including "When the Saints Go Marching In", "Poor Boy, Long Ways from Home" and "Jesus' Blood Can Make Me Whole".
Barbecue Bob also recorded as a member of The Georgia Cotton Pickers in December 1930, a group that included guitarist Curley Weaver and harmonica player Buddy Moss. As a group they recorded a handful of sides including their own adaptation of Blind Blake's "Diddie Wa Diddie" (recorded as "Diddle-Da-Diddle") and the Mississippi Sheiks' "Sitting on Top of the World" (recorded as "I'm On My Way Down Home"). These were the last recordings that Bob recorded.
He died in Lithonia, Georgia, of a combination of tuberculosis and pneumonia brought on by influenza, at the age of 29, on October 21, 1931. His recording of "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues" (about the 1927 flood) was apparently played at his graveside before burial.
Bob developed a "flailing" or "frailing" style of playing guitar more often associated with the traditional clawhammer banjo (as did his brother, and, initially, Curley Weaver). He used a bottleneck regularly on his 12-string guitar, playing in an elemental style that relied on an open Spanish tuning reminiscent of Charley Patton. He had a strong voice that he embellished with growling and falsetto, and a percussive singing style.
Bob had some influence on Atlanta blues musicians such as the young Buddy Moss (who played harmonica with him on The Georgia Cotton Pickers recordings), but his way of playing was quickly overshadowed by the finger-picked Piedmont blues style that rose in popularity by the late 1920s/early 30s as can be heard in the development of the recordings of Curley Weaver.
Bob's elder brother, Charley, also played blues and was recorded by Columbia under the name "Laughing" Charley Lincoln. However, he never received the same acclaim as his brother.
Robert Hicks was an extrovert young man of 24 when Columbia's Dan Hornsby arranged his first recording session in March 1927, and had only moved into Atlanta from the countryside a few years before. When he recorded He had learned guitar, along with their friend Curley Weaver, from Curley's mother; all three played in a similar style, favouring the big, booming sound of the 12-string guitar, and relishing the contrast of pulsing bass riffs with the whine of a bottleneck on the treble strings. Barbecue Blues was a good seller, but it was at his second session, in New York in June 1927, that Bob firmly established himself with black record buyers, and thus with Columbia; Mississippi Heavy Water Blues, inspired by the catastrophic floods that had occurred that very month, was a considerable seller, and as a result Robert became Atlanta's most-recorded blues singer of the 20s. It was probably his success that persuaded Columbia to record both his brother Charlie and, in 1928, Curley Weaver.
From the first, Barbecue Bob's music was instantly recognisable, both for the characteristic guitar style and for his warm, nasal singing voice. He could sound fiercely involved with his material, as on Barbecue Blues, ironically detached, as he did when performing Mama You Don't Suit Me!, or crushed by rejection, alike on Crooked Woman Blues and the traditionally based How Long Pretty Mama. The two-part It Won't Be Long Now, in crosstalk and duet with Charlie, is probably an example of the kind of material Robert performed on the medicine show with which he is known to have visited the small town of Waycross, in southwest Georgia, about which he made up a blues.
Barbecue Bob's lyrics are remarkable for their blending of traditional formulae with a wry originality that is all his own. He was well acquainted with traditional songs; the content of Barbecue Blues and Motherless Chile Blues is almost proverbial, and the session where he cut versions of two well-known gospel songs also produced Easy Rider Don't You Deny My Name and a stunning account of Poor Boy A Long Ways From Home. Barbecue Bob rapidly impressed himself on his fans' minds as sharp, clever and original.
I Surrender Dear
Barbecue Bob Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'I Surrender Dear' by these artists:
'Wild' Bill Davison Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Andy Kirk Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds of Joys Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
April Stevens; Nino Tempo Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Aretha Franklin We've played the game of 'stay away' But it costs more…
Art Pepper Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Barris Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Ben Webster Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Benny Carter / Jimmy Mundy / Gerald Wilson Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Benny Goodman & Charlie Christian Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Benny Goodman Sextet Featuring Charlie Christian Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Benny Goodman;Charlie Christian;Benny Goodman Sextet Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Bill Coleman Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Bing Crosby; John Scott Trotter Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Bobby Hackett and His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Buddy De Franco And His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Charlie Parker & Lennie Tristano Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Claude Hopkins Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Clifford Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Cole Nat 'King' We've played the game of 'stay away' But it costs more…
Cole Nat \"king\" Trio Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Coleman Hawkins & The Chocolate Dandies Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Coleman Hawkins and The Chocolate Dandies Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Count Basie Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Count Basie & Zoot Sims Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Count Basie and the Kansas City 3 Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Count Basie/Zoot Sims Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Crosby Bing Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
D. Byas McGhee J. Moody Take me deeper Deeper into You Let me see You The way I've…
Dale Evans Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
David "Fathead" Newman/Emmett Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Dick Haymes Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Dick Haymes/Helen Forrest Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Django Reinhardt Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France feat. Stephane Grappelli Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Django Reinhardt; Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France featuring Stephane Grap Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Django Reinhardt; Stéphane Grappelli Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Dodo Marmarosa Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Don Byas & His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Don Byas & Tyree Glenn Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Don Byas/Tyree Orchestra Glenn Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Don Cornell Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Dr. Michael Dean Ph.D. Take me deeper Deeper into You Let me see You The way I've…
Dunstan Coulber Quartet Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Earl Hines Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Earl Hines & Harry Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Earl Hines & Harry "Sweets" Edison Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Eddie ''Lockjaw'' Davis Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Eddie Fisher Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Enoch Light Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Enoch Light & Command All-Stars Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Erroll Garner Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Gus Arnheim and His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Gus Arnheim And His Orchestra Feat. Bing Crosby Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Hackett Bobby Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Harry James Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Hawkins Coleman Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Helen Forrest Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Herb Jeffries Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Howard Fishman Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Ike Quebec Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Illinois Jacquet Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
J.T.S.P. Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Jack Payne and His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Jimmy Mundy Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Jimmy Mundy and his Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Joe Venuti And Zoot Sims Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Julie London Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Kansas City Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Kenny Burrell Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Kenny Davern Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Lena Horne Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Lennie Tristano Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Leroy Holmes and His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Louis Armstrong & his All Stars Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Louis Armstrong & His All‐Stars Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Louis Armstrong & Sy Oliver Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Nat King Cole We've played the game of 'stay away' But it costs more…
Nino Tempo Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Nino Tempo April Stevens Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Nino Tempo & April Stevens Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Oscar Peterson Trio Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Rafael Mendez Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Rosenberg Trio Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my lips…
Rosenberg Trio & Tim Kliphuis Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Roy Eldridge Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Roy Eldridge 4 Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Roy Eldridge and His Orchestra Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Roy Hamilton Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Ruby Braff Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Sonny Rollins Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Stan Kenton Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Swedish Jazz All Stars Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Swingtime-Group Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
T.Monk-S.Rollins-E.HenrC.Terr Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Teddy Wilson Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Terry Snyder & The Allstars Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Terry Snyder and the All-Stars Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
The Jazz At The Philharmonic All-Stars Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Thelonious Monk Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Thelonious Monk (piano) Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Thelonious Monk / Sonny Rollins Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Thelonious Monk feat. Sonny Rollins Ernie Henry Clark Terry Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Thelonious Monk Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Tim Kliphuis Trio Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Tony Martin Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Tristano Lennie Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Tyree Glenn Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Venuti and Sims Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
Warren Vaché Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Barbecue Bob:
Atlanta Moan Lord nobody knows Atlanta like I do, Lord nobody knows Atla…
Bad Time Blues Bad time are fallin' me, tell the world the panic…
Barbecue Blues Woke up this morning gal 'Twixt midnight and day With my han…
Mississippi Heavy Water Blues I was walking down the Levee with my head hanging…
Motherless Chile Blues If I mistreat you, gal, I sure don't mean no…
She Shook Her Gin I got a gal on Second Avenue She can do thing…
She's Gone Blues When you were down, sick down on your bed When you…
We Sure Got Hard Times Got a song to sing you, and it's no excuse I've…
When the Saints Go Marching In Oh, when the saints go marching in Oh, when the saints…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found