(Hudson Whittaker) Born Jan 8 , 1904 in Smithville, GA Died Mar 19, 1981 in Chicago, IL

 
 

Hudson Whittaker, or Woodbridge, was born sometime in 1904, in Smithville, Georgia. He got hisnickname, Tampa Red, because of his red hair, and the fact that he lived in Tampa, Florida. He learned slide guitar, before he moved to Chicago in the mid-1920's, where he played Hokum, in his duet with Georgia Tom Dorsey. Tampa helped bridge the gap between country and Urban blues, and he continued to play guitar into the 1940's and 1950's, while fighting his alchoholic tendencies . He died in 1981.  Quote from The Blues Site in Geocities.

Here is another of Neil Harpe's portraits, this one of Tampa Red at Neil Harpe.  A brief biography at Big Tony in Geocities.  A biography at The Blue Flame Cafe.  The Tampa Red site at All-Media Guide.  The Songs:    1. Western Bound Blues the song  2. Black Angel Blues  the song

Chicago Blues