Kansas Joe McCoy

Joe McCoy (born May 11, 1905 ? died January 28, 1950) was an African American blues musician.

Related Topics:
May 11 - 1905 - January 28 - 1950 - African American - Blues - Musician

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Joe McCoy played music under a variety of stage names but is best known as "Kansas Joe McCoy." Born in Raymond, Mississippi, he was the older brother of blues accompanist Papa Charlie McCoy. As a young man, he was drawn to the music scene in Memphis, Tennessee where he played guitar and sang vocals during the 1920s. He teamed up with future wife Lizzie Douglas, a brilliant guitarist known as Memphis Minnie, and their 1929 recording of a song called "Bumble Bee" on the Columbia Records label was a hit. In 1930, the couple moved to Chicago where they were an important part of the burgeoning blue scene. Following their divorce, McCoy teamed up with his brother to form a band known as the "Harlem Hamfats" that performed and recorded during the second half of the 1930s.

Related Topics:
Raymond, Mississippi - Papa Charlie McCoy - Memphis, Tennessee - Memphis Minnie - Columbia Records - Chicago

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the outbreak of World War II Charlie McCoy entered the military but a heart condition kept Joe McCoy from service. Out on his own, he created a band known as "Big Joe and His Rhythm" that performed together throughout most of the 1940s. In 1950, at the age of 44, Joe McCoy died of heart disease only a few months before his brother Charlie. They are buried in Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.

Related Topics:
World War II - Restvale Cemetery - Alsip, Illinois

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~