Mississippi Fred McDowell - Dankin's Farm

Mississippi Fred McDowell was a pioneering American blues guitarist and singer, best known for his powerful slide guitar style and his role in shaping the North Mississippi hill country blues tradition.
He was born January 12, 1904 in Rossville, Tennessee. His parents were farmers and passed away when he was young. He began playing guitar at age 14, performing at dances and gatherings. In 1926, he moved to Memphis, working in a cotton oil mill while continuing to play music.
By 1928, McDowell relocated to Mississippi, eventually settling in Como around 1940–41. He worked as a farmer while playing music at picnics, dances, and local events. His style developed into what became known as hill country blues, distinct from Delta blues.
Fred played slide guitar, often using a pocketknife or a glass bottleneck as his slide.
He remained relatively unknown until Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins recorded him in 1959 during their Southern Journey field recordings. These recordings brought him recognition, leading to performances at festivals and clubs worldwide.
His famous song “You Gotta Move” was later covered by The Rolling Stones on their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.
McDowell recorded for labels such as Arhoolie Records and Rounder Records, leaving behind influential albums like I Do Not Play No Rock ’n’ Roll.
He influenced later blues and rock musicians, including Bonnie Raitt, who learned slide guitar directly from him. He passed away on July 3, 1972 in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 68.
Fred’s music is raw, hypnotic, and deeply rooted in African American traditions of the rural South. Unlike Delta blues, his hill country style emphasized repetition, rhythm, and trance-like grooves, which later influenced genres like rock and even modern blues revival.