Wilbur Joe "Kansas Joe" McCoy (May 11, 1905 – January 28, 1950) was an American Delta blues singer, musician and songwriter.
Career
McCoy performed under various stage names but is best known as Kansas Joe McCoy. Born in Raymond, Mississippi, In 1930, the couple moved to Chicago, where they were an important part of the burgeoning blues scene there.
At the outbreak of World War II Charlie McCoy entered the military, but a heart condition kept Joe McCoy from service. He formed a band, Big Joe and his Rhythm, which performed during most of the 1940s. The band featured Robert Nighthawk on harmonica and Charlie McCoy on mandolin. He also used the names Hamfoot Ham, Hillbilly Plowboy, and Mud Dauber Joe. was held in October 2010 to celebrate the music of Joe and Charlie McCoy and to buy gravestones for each of them; they were installed on May 31, 2011.
See also
- Chicago blues
- List of blues musicians
- List of Chicago blues musicians
- List of people from Mississippi
References
External links
- "Weed Smoker's Dream", by McCoy, performed by Chappelle and Winters (video)
- McCoy Brothers Tribute website
- Kansas Joe recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings