In 1915, Estes' father, a sharecropper who also played some guitar, moved the family to Brownsville, Tennessee. Not long after, Estes lost the sight of his right eye when a friend threw a rock at him during a baseball game. At the age of 19, while working as a field hand, he began to perform professionally. The venues were mostly local parties and picnics, with the accompaniment of Hammie Nixon, a harmonica player, and James "Yank" Rachell, a guitarist and mandolin player. He would continue to work on and off with both musicians for more than fifty years.
Estes made his debut as a recording artist in Memphis, Tennessee in 1929, at a session organized by Ralph Peer for Victor Records. His partnership with Nixon was first documented on songs such as "Drop Down Mama" and "Someday Baby Blues" in 1935; later sides replaced the harmonica player with the guitarists Son Bonds or Charlie Pickett. He later recorded for the Decca and Bluebird labels, with his last pre-war recording session taking place in 1941. He made a brief return to recording at Sun Studio in Memphis in 1952, recording "Runnin' Around" and "Rats in My Kitchen", but otherwise was largely out of the public eye for two decades.
Estes was a fine singer, with a distinctive "crying" vocal style. He frequently teamed with more capable musicians, like "Yank" Rachell, Hammie Nixon, and the piano player Jab Jones. Estes sounded so much like an old man, even on his early records, that blues revivalists reportedly delayed looking for him because they assumed he would have to be long dead, and because fellow musician Big Bill Broonzy had written that Estes had died. By the time he was tracked down, by Bob Koester and Samuel Charters in 1962, he had become completely blind and was living in poverty. He resumed touring and recording, reunited with Nixon and toured Europe several times and Japan, with a clutch of albums released on the Delmark Records label. His later records are generally considered less interesting than his pre-war output. Nevertheless, Estes, Nixon and Rachell also made a successful appearance at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival.
Bob Dylan mentions Estes in the sleevenotes to Bringing It All Back Home (1965).
Many of Estes' original songs were based on events in his own life or on people he knew from his home town of Brownsville, Tennessee, such as the local lawyer ("Lawyer Clark Blues"), local auto mechanic ("Vassie Williams' Blues"), or an amorously inclined teenage girl ("Little Laura Blues"). "Lawyer Clark Blues" referenced the lawyer, and later judge and senator, Hugh L. Clarke. Clarke and his family lived in Brownsville, and according to the song let Estes 'off the hook' for an offense.
He also dispensed advice on agricultural matters ("Working Man Blues") and chronicled his own attempt to reach a recording studio for a session by hopping a freight train ("Special Agent (Railroad Police Blues)"). His lyrics combined keen observation with an ability to turn an effective phrase.
Some accounts attribute his nickname "Sleepy" to a blood pressure disorder and/or narcolepsy. Others, such as blues historian Bob Koester, claim he simply had a "tendency to withdraw from his surroundings into drowsiness whenever life was too cruel or too boring to warrant full attention".
Estes suffered a stroke while preparing for a European tour, and died on June 5, 1977, at his home of 17 years in Brownsville, Haywood County, Tennessee. Estes is buried at Elam Baptist Church Cemetery in Durhamville, Lauderdale County, Tennessee.
His gravemarker reads:
Sleepy John Estes
".. ain't goin' to worry Poor John's mind anymore"
In Memory
John Adam Estes
Jan. 25, 1899
June 5, 1977
Blues Pioneer
Guitarist – Songwriter – Poet
Sleepy John Estes' epitaph ".. ain't goin' to worry Poor John's mind anymore" was derived from his song, "Someday Baby Blues." "I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More" was recorded in 1935, and in his song "Drop Down Mama", also recorded in 1935, Sleepy John refers to himself as "Poor John". Estes' grave at Elam Baptist Church Cemetery in Durhamville is located off a country road and at the far end of the cemetery. His grave is adjacent to a small grove of trees, secluded but not hidden.
In 1991, Estes was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Lawyer Clark Blues
Sleepy John Estes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He got a nice little lake right inside the grove
Boys, you know I like Mr.Clark, yes he really is my friend
He say if I just stay out the grave
He see that I won't go to the pen
Now Mr.Clark is a lawyer, his younger brother is too
When the bail get hard, he tell 'em just what to do
Friend
He say if I just stay out the grave
He see that I won't go to the pen
Now he lawyer for the rich, he lawyer for the poor
He don't try to rob nobody, just bring along 'em his dough
Boys, you know I like Mr.Clark, yes, he really is my friend
He say if I just stay out the grave
He see that I won't go to the pen
Now once I got in trouble, you know I was gon' take a ride
He didn't let it reach the courthouse, he kept in on outside
Boys, you know I like Mr.Clark, yes, he really is my friend
He say if I just stay out the graveyard
Poor John, I see you won't go to the pen
Now Mr.Clark is a good lawyer, he good as I ever seen
He's the first man that proved that water run upstream
Boys, you know I like Mr.Clark, yes, he really is my friend
He say if I just stay out the grave
Poor John, I see you won't go to the pen
In "Lawyer Clark Blues," Sleepy John Este sings praises for Lawyer Clark, who is both his friend and his lawyer. Lawyer Clark is described as a man who has an office in town and a nice little lake on Seventy Road. He is also a lawyer for both the rich and the poor, and he is not interested in robbing anybody. Should Sleepy John stick to the straight and narrow, Lawyer Clark will ensure that he does not end up in jail. There is a possible reference to a specific incident in which Sleepy John was in legal trouble, and Lawyer Clark kept the matter out of court.
Mr. Clark is portrayed as a wise and good-hearted lawyer who, despite his job, is loyal to those who trust him. The song suggests he is a man of great influence with both the judicial system and the community, and he can use his connections, legal skill, and wit to ensure Sleepy John stays out of jail. The imagery of Lawyer Clark's lake is symbolic of him having the power to either sink Sleepy John or see that he stays afloat.
Line by Line Meaning
Now got an office in town, residence out on Seventy Road
Lawyer Clark has two places he calls home, one in town and the other on the Seventy Road.
He got a nice little lake right inside the grove
There's a lovely small lake in the trees at Lawyer Clark's home.
Boys, you know I like Mr.Clark, yes he really is my friend
Sleepy John Estes considers Lawyer Clark to be his close friend.
He say if I just stay out the grave, He see that I won't go to the pen
Lawyer Clark believes that if Sleepy John Estes stays out of trouble, he won't go to jail.
Now Mr.Clark is a lawyer, his younger brother is too
Lawyer Clark's younger brother is also a lawyer.
When the bail get hard, he tell 'em just what to do
When it's difficult to make bail, Lawyer Clark tells his clients what steps to take.
Now he lawyer for the rich, he lawyer for the poor
Lawyer Clark represents clients from all economic backgrounds.
He don't try to rob nobody, just bring along 'em his dough
Lawyer Clark doesn't cheat his clients, he just charges them for his services.
Now once I got in trouble, you know I was gon' take a ride
Sleepy John Estes once faced legal trouble and was likely to be sent to jail.
He didn't let it reach the courthouse, he kept in on outside
Lawyer Clark was able to resolve Sleepy John Estes's legal troubles before they reached the courthouse.
Now Mr.Clark is a good lawyer, he good as I ever seen
According to Sleepy John Estes, Lawyer Clark is an exceptionally skilled lawyer.
He's the first man that proved that water run upstream
Lawyer Clark has accomplished something remarkable by proving that water can indeed flow upstream.
Poor John, I see you won't go to the pen
Sleepy John Estes feels confident that he won't go to jail thanks to Lawyer Clark's guidance.
Writer(s): John Addison, John Cranko
Contributed by Sebastian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.