John Lee Ziegler 1929-2008
Ziegler's recordings appear on the follow… Read Full Bio ↴John Lee Ziegler 1929-2008
Ziegler's recordings appear on the following collections: Georgia Blues Today (issued by Flyright in 1981 and reissued by Fat Possum), John Lee Ziegler: The George Mitchell Collection Vol. 6 (the same tracks appear on The George Mitchell Collection 7-CD box set) plus Expressin' The Blues, Blues Sweet Blues, Georgia Blues Today and Cames So Far all on the Music Maker label.
Part of John Lee Ziegler's unorthodox style comes from the fact that he was a left-handed guitarist who played a right-handed guitar upside-down, with the bass strings at the bottom. Born in 1929 in Houston County, Ziegler started playing guitar at age 15 as a fluke: when his parents couldn't find him the bicycle he requested as a gift, they returned from Macon with a guitar instead. It didn't take Ziegler long to get good enough to play local clubs and house parties; he even spent some time in New York playing with a band. He also told Mitchell he'd spent some time with John Lee Hooker in Hawkinsville, Georgia. When Mitchell came across him in the late 1970s, Ziegler was still residing in Houston County, working as a plumber and playing at his house for any neighbors interested in stopping by to hear. He had one of the most diverse repertories of any Chattahoochee performer Mitchell encountered, playing John Lee Hooker songs, Sam Cooke's pop hits, and traditional Chattahoochee songs like "If I Lose Let Me Lose" all in his distinctive style. Ziegler could sing some gospel, but while a lot of the musicians Mitchell recorded had given up blues for the church, Ziegler was content in his choice to stick with secular music.
George Mitchell: John Lee had a spoons player named Rufus and people would gather out in the front yard and listen to them play as we'd be recording. And kids would be dancin' all over the yard. We recorded a version of John Lee doing "John Henry" where he shouts in the middle, "Look at that little kid dancin', there!" It was some scene. John Lee wanted his own record, which was fine by me, but I told him, "John Lee you got to come up with some more songs of your own. You can't just come record all this Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker shit." And be did eventually come up with a bunch of new songs. He was a nice, gentle guy, but he was hard to deal with – he thought I was ripping him off, and wanted to get lawyers involved and all this shit – and the record never happened. But he was something else.
Ziegler's recordings appear on the follow… Read Full Bio ↴John Lee Ziegler 1929-2008
Ziegler's recordings appear on the following collections: Georgia Blues Today (issued by Flyright in 1981 and reissued by Fat Possum), John Lee Ziegler: The George Mitchell Collection Vol. 6 (the same tracks appear on The George Mitchell Collection 7-CD box set) plus Expressin' The Blues, Blues Sweet Blues, Georgia Blues Today and Cames So Far all on the Music Maker label.
Part of John Lee Ziegler's unorthodox style comes from the fact that he was a left-handed guitarist who played a right-handed guitar upside-down, with the bass strings at the bottom. Born in 1929 in Houston County, Ziegler started playing guitar at age 15 as a fluke: when his parents couldn't find him the bicycle he requested as a gift, they returned from Macon with a guitar instead. It didn't take Ziegler long to get good enough to play local clubs and house parties; he even spent some time in New York playing with a band. He also told Mitchell he'd spent some time with John Lee Hooker in Hawkinsville, Georgia. When Mitchell came across him in the late 1970s, Ziegler was still residing in Houston County, working as a plumber and playing at his house for any neighbors interested in stopping by to hear. He had one of the most diverse repertories of any Chattahoochee performer Mitchell encountered, playing John Lee Hooker songs, Sam Cooke's pop hits, and traditional Chattahoochee songs like "If I Lose Let Me Lose" all in his distinctive style. Ziegler could sing some gospel, but while a lot of the musicians Mitchell recorded had given up blues for the church, Ziegler was content in his choice to stick with secular music.
George Mitchell: John Lee had a spoons player named Rufus and people would gather out in the front yard and listen to them play as we'd be recording. And kids would be dancin' all over the yard. We recorded a version of John Lee doing "John Henry" where he shouts in the middle, "Look at that little kid dancin', there!" It was some scene. John Lee wanted his own record, which was fine by me, but I told him, "John Lee you got to come up with some more songs of your own. You can't just come record all this Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker shit." And be did eventually come up with a bunch of new songs. He was a nice, gentle guy, but he was hard to deal with – he thought I was ripping him off, and wanted to get lawyers involved and all this shit – and the record never happened. But he was something else.
John Henry
John Lee Ziegler 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 John Lee Ziegler:
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@vincentbuccieri9305
Such a Melodic Performer , so Adeptat at Mixing His Guitar Work & Vocals!
@ghouldishanimal
This legit just sounds like it was played on thee dude's front porch while his kids played outside, I love it!
@mrs.peaches3624
Believe or not it really was and I was one of those kids running round in that front yard that's one of my great uncle my grandad his brother the late Mr.Rollie Ziegler💖
@georgeleemitchell111
John Lee Ziegler was from Kathleen, Georgia, near Perry, Georgia. Played guitar left-handed, holding it upside down.
@AlanaParekh
gorgeous beyond belief
@richardwolter2368
Great...
@musicthaticantfind
@georgeleemitchell111 Great Info thanks! Love his playing.
@musicthaticantfind
@@MoneyManBLUES and so many others that may have gone unrecorded. Many many thanks to George!
@georgemitchell6201
You are very welcome, @@musicthaticantfind