Tampa Red (January 8, 1904 - March 19, 1981), born Hudson Woodbridge but kn… Read Full Bio ↴Tampa Red (January 8, 1904 - March 19, 1981), born Hudson Woodbridge but known from childhood as Hudson Whittaker, was an influential American musician.

Tampa Red is best known as an accomplished and influential blues guitarist who had a unique single-string bottleneck style. His songwriting and his silky, polished slide technique influenced other leading Chicago blues guitarists, such as Big Bill Broonzy and Robert Nighthawk, as well as Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Mose Allison and many others. In a career spanning over 30 years he also recorded pop, R&B and hokum records.

He was born Hudson Woodbridge in Smithville, Georgia. His parents died when he was a child, and he moved to Tampa, Florida, where he was raised by his aunt and grandmother and adopted their surname, Whittaker. He emulated his older brother, Eddie, who played guitar, and he was especially inspired by an old street musician called Piccolo Pete, who first taught him to play blues licks on a guitar.

In the 1920s, having already perfected his slide technique, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, and began his career as a musician, adopting the name "Tampa Red" from his childhood home and red hair. His big break was being hired to accompany Ma Rainey and he began recording in 1928 with "It's Tight Like That", in a bawdy and humorous style that became known as "hokum". Early recordings were mostly collaborations with Thomas A. Dorsey, known at the time as Georgia Tom. Tampa Red and Georgia Tom recorded almost 90 sides, sometimes as "The Hokum Boys" or, with Frankie Jaxon, as "Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band".

In 1928, Tampa Red became the first black musician to play a National steel-bodied resonator guitar, the loudest and showiest guitar available before amplification, acquiring one in the first year they were available. This allowed him to develop his trademark bottleneck style, playing single string runs, not block chords, which was a precursor to later blues and rock guitar soloing. The National guitar he used was a gold-plated tricone, which was found in Illinois in the 1990s and later sold to the "Experience Music Project" in Seattle. Tampa Red was known as "The Man With The Gold Guitar", and, into the 1930s, he was billed as "The Guitar Wizard".

His partnership with Dorsey ended in 1932, but he remained much in demand as a session musician, working with John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Memphis Minnie, and many others. In 1934 he signed for Victor Records. He formed the Chicago Five, a group of session musicians who created what became known as the Bluebird sound, a precursor of the small group style of later jump blues and rock and roll bands. He was a close friend and associate of Big Bill Broonzy and Big Maceo Merriweather. He enjoyed commercial success and reasonable prosperity, and his home became a centre for the blues community, informally providing rehearsal space, bookings, and lodgings for the flow of musicians who arrived in Chicago from the Mississippi Delta as the commercial potential of blues music grew and agricultural employment in the south diminished.

By the 1940s he was playing electric guitar. In 1942 "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" was a # 4 hit on Billboard Magazine's new "Harlem Hit Parade", forerunner of the R&B chart, and his 1949 recording "When Things Go Wrong with You (It Hurts Me Too)", another R&B hit, was covered by Elmore James. He was "rediscovered" in the late 1950s, like many other surviving early recorded blues artists such as Son House and Skip James, as part of the blues revival. His final, undistinguished, recordings were in 1960.

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Bessemer blues
Tampa Red Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Tampa Red:

(I Could Learn to Love You) So Good Baby, I could learn to love you so good Baby, I…
A Lie In My Heart I may be wrong to say, I love you I'll put…
All Night Long I know baby, what you're trying to do You can't love…
Anna Lou Blues Annie Lou, i want you for my own, Annie Lou Annie…
Baby Please Don't Baby please baby please dont throw me down Baby please baby…
Black angel blues I've got a sweet black angel, I likes the way…
Blue And Evil Blues You men won't like it When you hear this song Do as…
Bumble Bee Blues Bumble bee, bumble bee Please come back to me Bumble bee, …
Cheatin' On Me You ain't the gal you used to be You used to…

Crying Won't Help You No matter what you say, baby No matter what you do The…
Dangerous Woman Blues I'm goin' back to the delta That's where I belong I'm goin'…
Dark and Stormy Night On a cold, dark, and stormy night On a cold, dark,…
Dead Cat On The Line You Chicago women run hand in hand You run around with…
Dead Cats On The Line You Chicago women run hand in hand You run around with…
Deceitful Friend Blues When this world is so crooked I just don't know what…
Delta Woman Blues I'm goin' back to the delta That's where I belong I'm goin'…
Don I wake up every mornin' with the risin' sun Thinkin' of…
Don't Jive Me Baby please baby please dont throw me down Baby please baby…
Don't Lie to Me Baby Please - Baby Please Don't Throw Me Down Baby Please…
Don't You Lie to Me Let's talk it over, baby 'For we start I hear…
Don´t Lie to Me Baby please baby please dont throw me down Baby please baby…
Forgive Me Please Baby Please - Baby Please Don't Throw Me Down Baby Please…
Givin' It Away Ah look here, baby, how can it be You ain't give…
Good Woman Blues I'm goin' back to the delta That's where I belong I'm goin'…
Got to Leave My Woman Meet me down in the bottom Mama, bring my shoes and…
Grievin' and Worryin' Blues I went down on the corner with my gun in…
Grouchy Hearted Woman I never been so worried So bothered in my life befo' I…
Happily Married We are so happily married We gave up all for love And…
Harlem Swing Yeah man, make a plan Everybody, let's get started Get that …
Heck Of A How-Do-You-Do Heck Of A How-Do-You-Do Trk 17 Dsc 2 2:43 song…
Honey It's Tight Like That Woke up this morning, put on my Sunday shoes. Don't ask…
i I'm goin' back to the delta That's where I belong I'm goin'…
i do I wished for lovely night And my gal to hold me…
I Give My Love To You Befo' I say goodnight my love to you Promise dear, you'll…
I Hate Myself I'm goin' back to the delta That's where I belong I'm goin'…
I Need You By My Side Although it seems that we must part You will forever be…
I See You Can't Take It I been down and I ain't through I see you can't…
I Won't Let Her Do It yeah yeah let me do it let let me do it let…
I'll Kill Your Soul I'll kill your soul and dare your spirit to move I'll…
I'm A Stranger Here I'm a stranger here, just blowed in your town, I'm a…
I'm Betting On You I'm so disappointed, baby in you For I once thought your…
I'm Gonna Get High I'm gonna get high And it ain't no lie And swing alone…
I'm So Disappointed in You I'm so disappointed, baby in you For I once thought your…
If It Wasn't For You I've got a whoopee mama She makes whoopee all the time I've…
Im A Stranger Here I'm a stranger here, just blowed in your town, I'm a…
It It's hard to believe we are through, dear Still you keep…
It Hurst Me Too I can't be happy, mama For bein' so blue When ya keep…
It Hurts Me Too I can't be happy, mama, for being so blue When you…
It Hurts Me Too (Remastered) I can't be happy, mama, for being so blue When you…
It's Good Like That Woke up this morning, put on my Sunday shoes. Don't ask…
It's Hard To Believe It's True It's hard to believe we are through, dear Still you keep…
It's Red Hot Now you talk about rags Boys you ought to hear mine My…
It's Tight Like That Listen here folks : I'm going to sing a little song Don't…
It's Tight Like That No. 2 Woke up this morning, put on my Sunday shoes. Don't ask…
Jitter Jump The jitter jump is a mellow thing It put you in…
Kingfish Blues Little minnows in the river : kingfish in the deep blue…
Let Me Play with Your Poodle Let me play with your poodle…
Love With a Feeling Oh, you know, women don't like this woman 'Cause I always…
Mean Mistreater Blues You's a mean mistreating mama : and you don't mean me…
My Baby Said Yes I'm fallin' in love again Grey skies are all blue again My…
My Gal Is Gone No one to love me, no one to care It's mighty…
My Za Zu Girl When you see me in a hurry I am busy don't…
No Matter How She Done It I know a gal by the name of Mae Lou She…
Noonday Hour Blues Oh, hush, look and listen That witchin' hour's here again Oh…
Noonday Hours Blues Oh, hush, look and listen That witchin' hour's here again …
Nutty and Buggy Blues I'm goin' away, baby But maybe not to stay But I won't…
Oh Babe Oh Baby I know, baby, what you're trying to do You can't love…
Please Don't Throw Me Down Baby Please - Baby Please Don't Throw Me Down Baby Please…
Poor Stranger Blues I went up on the mountain to see what poor…
Right Or Wrong You ain't the gal you used to be I wouldn't mind…
Rock it in rhythm When you're out for a lovely evening Forget about your daily…
Rowdy Woman Blues I'm goin' back to the delta That's where I belong I'm goin'…
Sad Letter Blues I got a letter, this is the way it read I…
Seminole Blues My baby's gone, won't be back no more She won't be…
She She said it and she meant it too I never knew…
Singing and Crying Blues I got a feeling which I never had before Trouble and…
Someday I'm Bound To Win Though you drivin' me away, baby An' I ain't done nothin'…
Stockyard Fire Big trouble in the meat house And it's all about that…
Stop Truckin So now we got something new It's a dance anyone can…
Stop Truckin' & Suzi-Q So now we got something new It's a dance anyone can…
Stop Truckin' And Susie-Q So now we got something new It's a dance anyone can…
Stop Truckin' And Suzi-Q So now we got something new It's a dance anyone can…
Stormy sea blues Stormy Sea Blues Trk 1 2.46 Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker) R…
Sugar Mama Blues No.1 Sugar mama sugar mama Sugar mama please come on back to…
Sweet Little Angel I got a sweet little angel I like the way she…
Sweetest Gal In Town I got the sweetest gal in town She push me up,…
Taking It & Making My Get Away It's above imagination How I love and used to hate you Gee…
Taking It And Make My Get Away Ah look here, baby, how can it be You ain't give…
That Don I wake up every mornin' with the risin' sun Thinkin' of…
That Don't Matter Now I wake up every mornin' with the risin' sun Thinkin' of…
That's The Way I Do I wished for lovely night And my gal to hold me…
The Duck Yas Yas Yas Hmm... Mama bought a rooster, she thought it was a duck She…
The Duck Yas-Yas-Yas Hmm... Mama bought a rooster, she thought it was a duck Sh…
The Duck's Yas-Yas-Yas Hmm... Mama bought a rooster, she thought it was a duck She…
The jitter jump The jitter jump is a mellow thing It put you in…
The Most Of Us Do I shouldn't cry when you kiss me goodbye But most of…
Things 'Bout Coming My Way Lost all my money Ain't got a dime Givin' up this whole…
Through Train Blues I hate to hear : that through train blow boo hoo Every…
Tight Like That Woke up this morning, put on my Sunday shoes. Don't ask…
Travel On Travel On Trk 11 Dsc 2 2:34 song 34 Tampa Red…
Turpentine Blues Turpentine's all right, provided that wages are good Turpen…
Uncle Bud They told me uncle Bud was a mighty good fella But…
We Gonna Get High Together There are you and here am I We both be silly…
Western Bound Blues If you lose your money, don't lose your mind If you…
what am i going to do I can't eat no more and I lost my appetite Can't…
What Is It That Tastes Like Gravy What is that tastes like gravy? Boys I bet you don't…
What Is It That Tastes Like Gravy? What is that tastes like gravy Boys I bet you don't…
When Bad Luck Is On You When bad luck is on you You'll have tough breaks all…
When Love Comes In It don't matter how tough you've been You may be wicked…
When the One You Love Is Gone Ain't it lonesome when the one you love is gone? Ain't…
When Things Go Wrong With You I can't be happy, mama For bein' so blue When ya keep…
Whoopee Mama I've got a whoopee mama She makes whoopee all the time I've…
Why Should I Care No one to love me, no one to care And the…
Witchin Oh, hush, look and listen That witchin' hour's here again Oh…
Worthy of You Show as three and throw a seven I'm on my way…
Wrong Idea You men won't like it When you hear this song Do as…
You Can I been down and I ain't through I see you can't…
You Can't Get That Stuff No More Got me a date with a supermodel, ha ha ha I…
You Got Me Worryin' I have a tendency to keep a worryin' No matter where…
You Got To Learn To Do It Take it away there, Bob I'm lookin' at you there, I'm…
You Missed a Good Man Now I'm not much to look at And I don't pretend…
You Rascal You Now I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal you,…
You Stole My Heart You stole my heart, my dear Look what you done with…

You're More Than A Palace To Me I've given up a palace, a town and everything But long…

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