Heroes of the Blues Featured Artist: Skip James

Skip James (1902-1969)

Heroes of the Blues Trading Tees Card #14

Art by R. Crumb Text by Stephen Calt

Nehemiah (Skip) James was born in 1902 and raised in Bentonia, Mississippi. He learned guitar in his late teens from a local player, Henry Stuckey, and began piano soon afterwards under the tutelage of an old Arkansas performer, Will Crabtree. A professional blues musician from 1924 onward, James recorded seventeen sides for Paramount in 1931, and entered the clergy the same year. His "I'm so Glad" became a rock hit shortly before his death in 1969. Skip James was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1992.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this Keep On Truckin' Apparel exclusive t-shirt will be donated to Music Maker Relief Foundation.

Heroes of the Blues Feature Artist: Cannon's Jug Stompers

Cannon's Jug Stompers
Heroes of the Blues Trading Tees Card #20

Art by R. Crumb Text by Stephen Calt

Cannon's Jug Stompers, based in Ripley, Tennessee, consisted of banjoist Gus Cannon (Banjo Joe), guitarist Ashley Thompson, and harmonicist Noah Lewis. Cannon was born in Mississippi in 1883 and played professionally before 1900. Lewis a native of Henning, Tennessee, was born in 1895 and began working with Cannon around 1910. The group's twenty-eight recordings between 1928 and 1930 included "Walk Right In," made famous as a folk-rock song in the 1960's. Cannon's Jug Stompers was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 2010.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this Keep On Truckin' Apparel exclusive t-shirt will be donated to Music Maker Relief Foundation.

T-Shirts available exclusively at www.kotapparel.com

R. Crumb's Heroes of the Blues

In celebration of our new, Heroes of the Blues T shirt collection, a tribute to those early great singers and musicians who first recorded the blues. Many of whom never received recognition until after their deaths.

All pictured here have since been inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame: Son House, Skip James, Charley Patton, Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Blake, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Willie McTell.

We here at Keep on Truckin' Apparel are excited and thrilled to be donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of our "Heroes of the Blues" Trading Tees Collection to Music Maker Relief Foundation. Music Maker is based out of Hillsborough, North Carolina, their mission to "keep the bluest of the blues alive", through offering support to musicians living in poverty, and launching careers with a hand up, not a hand out. As well they preserve and present American musical traditions for the benefit of local communities, worldwide education and future generations.


Their mission seems to go hand in hand with the spirit of the "Heroes of the Blues" series. These color portraits where commissioned by Yazoo Records founder Nick Perls. Nick spent time traveling through the South, visiting second hand shops and knocking on doors to track down old blues records in the 1960's. He then remastered and preserved these old 78-rpm. His work was part of the revival of the Blues in the 60's, and brought attention to these unsung heroes.

For the "Heroes of the Blues" artwork he turned to Robert Crumb, musician and cartoonist, and for the historical text Stephen Calt, author and blues historian. The 36 card trading card set first appeared in 1980, and includes:
Charley Patton, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, Memphis Minnie, Blind Blake, Willie McTell, Big Bill Broonzy, Gary Davis, Skip James, Roosevelt Sykes, Cannon's Jug Stompers, Blind Willie Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Sleepy John Estes, Peetie Wheatstraw, Bo Carter, Ed Bell, Barbecue Bob, Buddy Boy Hawkins, Papa Charlie Jackson, Memphis Jug Band, Ramblin' Thomas, Sam Collins, Furry Lewis, Bo-Weavil Jackson, Rube Lacey, Mississippi Sheiks, Whistler & His Jug Band, Curley Weaver & Fred McMullen, Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell, Jaybird Coleman, Frank Stokes, Clifford Gibson, Peg Leg Howell, and William Morris.

So collect them, trade them, wear then with pride, and know that you will be supporting a rich American musical heritage.