Jesse Fuller (March 12, 1896 – January 29, 1976) was an American blues, "on… Read Full Bio ↴Jesse Fuller (March 12, 1896 – January 29, 1976) was an American blues, "one-man band", musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues".
Fuller was born in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta. He was sent by his mother to live with foster parents when he was a young child, in a rural setting where he was badly mistreated. Growing up, he worked a multitude of jobs: grazing cows for ten cents a day, working in a barrel factory, a broom factory, a rock quarry, on a railroad and a streetcar company, shining shoes, and even peddling hand-carved wooden snakes.
He came west and in the 1920s worked briefly as a film extra in The Thief of Bagdad and East of Suez. Eventually he settled in Oakland, California, across the bay from San Francisco, where he worked for the Southern Pacific railroad. During World War II, he worked as a shipyard welder, but when the war ended he found it increasingly difficult to find work. Around the early 1950s, Fuller's thoughts turned toward the possibility of making a living playing music.
Up to this point, Fuller had never worked professionally as a musician, but had certainly been exposed to music, and had learned to play guitar and picked up quite a number of songs: country blues, work songs, ballads, spirituals and instrumentals. And he had carried his guitar with him and played for money by passing the hat. When he decided to try to work as a professional, he found it hard to find other musicians to work with: thus his one-man band act was born.
Starting locally, in clubs and bars in San Francisco and across the bay in Oakland and Berkeley, Fuller became more widely known when he performed on television in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles, and in 1958 his recording career started with his first album on the Good Time Jazz record label. Fuller's instruments included 12-string guitar, harmonica, kazoo, cymbal (high-hat) and fotdella, several of which could be played simultaneously, particularly with the use of a head-piece to hold the harmonica and kazoo, often at the same time.
Much later, the Grateful Dead covered a few of Fuller's songs, including "The Monkey and the Engineer" and "Beat It on Down the Line". Others who have covered his work include Hot Tuna, Peter, Paul and Mary, Glenn Yarbrough, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, and Bob Dylan, on his debut in 1962.
The fotdella
The fotdella was a musical instrument of Fuller's own creation and construction. As a one-man band, the problem was how to supply a more substantial accompaniment than the typical high-hat (cymbal) or bass drum used by street musicians. Fuller's solution was the fotdella. It was a foot-operated percussion bass, consisting of a large upright wood box, shaped like the top of a double bass. Attached to a short neck at the top of this box were six bass strings, stretched over the body. And finally, there was the means to play those strings: six foot pedals, each connected to a padded hammer which struck the string, in a homemade wooden contraption.
The six notes of the fotdella allowed him to play a bass line in several keys, though he occasionally would play without it if a song exceeded its limited range.
The name was coined by his wife, who took to calling the instrument a "foot-diller" (as in a "killer-diller" instrument played with the foot), which was shortened to fotdella.
Fuller died in January 1976 in Oakland, California, from heart disease. He was 79 years of age. He was interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland.
Fuller was born in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta. He was sent by his mother to live with foster parents when he was a young child, in a rural setting where he was badly mistreated. Growing up, he worked a multitude of jobs: grazing cows for ten cents a day, working in a barrel factory, a broom factory, a rock quarry, on a railroad and a streetcar company, shining shoes, and even peddling hand-carved wooden snakes.
He came west and in the 1920s worked briefly as a film extra in The Thief of Bagdad and East of Suez. Eventually he settled in Oakland, California, across the bay from San Francisco, where he worked for the Southern Pacific railroad. During World War II, he worked as a shipyard welder, but when the war ended he found it increasingly difficult to find work. Around the early 1950s, Fuller's thoughts turned toward the possibility of making a living playing music.
Up to this point, Fuller had never worked professionally as a musician, but had certainly been exposed to music, and had learned to play guitar and picked up quite a number of songs: country blues, work songs, ballads, spirituals and instrumentals. And he had carried his guitar with him and played for money by passing the hat. When he decided to try to work as a professional, he found it hard to find other musicians to work with: thus his one-man band act was born.
Starting locally, in clubs and bars in San Francisco and across the bay in Oakland and Berkeley, Fuller became more widely known when he performed on television in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles, and in 1958 his recording career started with his first album on the Good Time Jazz record label. Fuller's instruments included 12-string guitar, harmonica, kazoo, cymbal (high-hat) and fotdella, several of which could be played simultaneously, particularly with the use of a head-piece to hold the harmonica and kazoo, often at the same time.
Much later, the Grateful Dead covered a few of Fuller's songs, including "The Monkey and the Engineer" and "Beat It on Down the Line". Others who have covered his work include Hot Tuna, Peter, Paul and Mary, Glenn Yarbrough, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, and Bob Dylan, on his debut in 1962.
The fotdella
The fotdella was a musical instrument of Fuller's own creation and construction. As a one-man band, the problem was how to supply a more substantial accompaniment than the typical high-hat (cymbal) or bass drum used by street musicians. Fuller's solution was the fotdella. It was a foot-operated percussion bass, consisting of a large upright wood box, shaped like the top of a double bass. Attached to a short neck at the top of this box were six bass strings, stretched over the body. And finally, there was the means to play those strings: six foot pedals, each connected to a padded hammer which struck the string, in a homemade wooden contraption.
The six notes of the fotdella allowed him to play a bass line in several keys, though he occasionally would play without it if a song exceeded its limited range.
The name was coined by his wife, who took to calling the instrument a "foot-diller" (as in a "killer-diller" instrument played with the foot), which was shortened to fotdella.
Fuller died in January 1976 in Oakland, California, from heart disease. He was 79 years of age. He was interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland.
John Henry
Jesse Fuller Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'John Henry' by these artists:
"22" & Group He took a bullet in a Georgia field When an argument…
'Little' Jimmy Dickens John Henry was a little bitty boy sittin' on his…
Alan Lomax John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Arvella Gray Well the foreman said to John Henry, he said what…
Belafonte John Henry he could hammer, He could whistle, he could sing …
Big Bill Broonzy When John Henry was a little baby boy, sitting on…
Big Bill Broonzy John Henry said to his captain A man ain't nothin' but…
Bill Monroe John Henry was a little colored boy You could hold him…
Bill Wood When John Henry was a little baby boy, sitting on…
Booker T. Sapps John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Bruce Springsteen Well, John Henry was a little baby Sittin' on his dady's…
Bruce Springsteen & Pete Seeger John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Bruce Springsteen & Seeger Session Band Well, John Henry was a little baby Sittin' on his dady's…
Burl Ives John Henry he could hammer, He could whistle, he could sing…
Buster Brown Yeah! Johnny told his old Captain 'Man, a-when you go downto…
Caamp These days aint so easy mama gotta watch your back I…
Cisco Houston & Woody Guthrie John Henry, when he was a baby Settin' on his mammy's…
Cows I'm not going home I'm going on I'm getting some I'm winn…
Dave Dudley When John Henry was just a little bitty boy no…
Dave Van Ronk John Henry when he was a baby Settin' on his mammy's…
Dog Faced Hermans John Henry when he was a baby Sitting on his mothers…
Earl Scruggs & Hylo Brown & The Timberliners John Henry was a little baby boy You could hold him…
Earl Scruggs Hylo Brown and The Timberliners John Henry was a little baby boy You could hold him…
Furry Lewis John Henry was a little baby boy, settin' at home…
Hall Tom T (The Storytellers and I were doing a show down in…
Hank Thompson John Henry was just a little bitty boy No bigger than…
Harry Belafonte John Henry he could hammer, He could whistle, he could sing …
Hugh Laurie John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Hugh Laurie and the Copper Bottom Band John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Hylo Brown John Henry was a little baby boy You could hold him…
Hylo Brown and The Timberliners With Earl Scruggs John Henry was a little baby boy You could hold him…
Jane Sapp; Kahn; Pete Seeger; Sapp; Si Kahn John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Jerry Lee Lewis When John Henry was a little bitty boy He picked up…
Jerry Reed When John Henry was a little baby Sittin' on his mama's…
Joe And Odell Thompson Who killed John Henry, In the battle of sinners and…
John Jackson Hush, don't talk now It won't change anything anyhow Just ho…
Johnny Cash Anybody got any special requests for us to do John Henry? Le…
Laura Veirs Hear the whistle blow far off in the still night…
Laurie Hugh John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Lead Belly John Henry, when he was a baby Settin' on his mammy's…
Leadbelly John Henry was a li'l baby, uh-huh, Sittin' on his mama's…
Leadbelly & Sonny Terry John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Leadbelly (Children's) John Henry was a li'l baby, uh-huh Sittin' on his mama's…
Leadbelly Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Lesley Riddle John Henry was a baby boy, sittin' on his Mama's…
Lightnin' Hopkins Yeah! Johnny told his old Captain 'Man, a-when you go downto…
Little Jimmy Dickens John Henry was a little bitty boy sittin' on his…
Lonnie Donegan John Henry told his little woman Honey cook my supper soon…
Merle Travis When John Henry was just a little bitty boy Settin' on…
Mississippi Fred McDowell John Henry was a steel-drivin' John Henry was a steel-drivi…
Mississippi Fred McDowell & Johnny Woods This song is by Mississippi Fred McDowell and appears on the…
Odetta John Henry was a little baby, Sittin; on his momma's…
Odetta and Larry When I look into your blue eyes, I trust that fire…
Perssons Pack -Jag tänkte berätta en historia om en man som hette…
Pete Seeger John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Pete Seeger Jane Sapp & Si Kahn John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Pete Seeger Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly John Henry, when he was a baby Settin' on his mammy's…
PHABO Henry gon' cut that wood By any means, on bro by…
Porter Wagoner JOHN HENRY (Traditional) « © '52 Silvehill Music » John …
Reese Crenshaw John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Rev. Gary Davis & Pink Anderson Through the long, long day of this troublous life Support us…
Sid Hemphill John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee When John Henry was a little baby Sitting on his daddy's…
Sonny Terry/Brownie McGhee John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Tennessee Ernie Ford When John Henry was a little baby No bigger than the…
Trail West John Henry was a little baby Sitting on his daddy′s knee He'…
Two Poor Boys John Henry was a little baby boy, settin' on his…
Van Morrison When John Henry was a little baby Sittin' on his mama's…
Willie Dixon feat. Memphis Slim John Henry had a little woman And the dress she wore…
Woody Guthrie John Henry, when he was a baby Settin' on his mammy's…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Jesse Fuller:
Runnin' Wild My gal and I, we had a fight And I'm…
San Francisco Bay Blues I got the blues from my baby left me by…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@MonotoneCreeper
17 strings, harmonica, kazoo, hi hat and still remembering the lyrics and singing at the same time. What an amazing chap.
@iansing5278
And 71yrs old, an amazing chap.
@davevendley9936
never given enough credit. jesse fuller is a special artist
@professorbonghair3111
That's the gospel, brother.
@Adibarum
The Ultimate one man Band..what a performer
@faulderrr
What a band!
@user-rr5lq9vz6g
I love this blues music 🎶 sound so good in the night time and i wish i can playing blues rock like this.
@connect741
The roots of rock and roll - fantastic
@nelsonx5326
This band rocks!
@Razzgospel
I had the great pleasure of hearing Jesse in New York City in the early sixties. Never forgot him.