Homesick James

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Homesick James (born around 1910 in Somerville, Tennessee) was an American blues musician known for his slide guitar and singing. His birth name was given as James Williams, James Williamson, or John William Henderson. He died on December 13, 2006, in Springfield, Missouri, at age 96.

He learned to play slide guitar by ear and performed at local dances as a teenager. He claimed to have played with many famous blues musicians and even said he was Elmore James’s older cousin who helped him learn slide guitar, though some of these claims aren’t confirmed.

In 1932 he moved to Chicago and played with Horace Henderson’s band and with pianist Jimmy Walker. His first known recordings were made in 1952 for Chance Records, including the songs “Lonesome Ole Train” and “Homesick”—the latter gave him his stage name. During the 1940s and 1950s he worked with Sonny Boy Williamson II and with Elmore James. In the early 1950s he played in bands with Baby Face Leroy Foster, Snooky Pryor, Floyd Jones, and Lazy Bill Lucas. He was a member of Elmore James’s band from 1955 to 1963 and helped record songs like “Dust My Broom,” “The Sky Is Crying,” and “Roll and Tumble.” There’s a famous story that Elmore James died on Homesick James’s couch, while Homesick searched for his heart pills.

As a solo artist, he recorded for Colt and USA in 1962, including a cover of Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads.” In 1964 he released Blues on the South Side for Prestige Records and also recorded tracks for Vanguard. Some of his work appears on the compilation Chicago: The Blues Today.

In the 1970s he found renewed interest in Europe, taking part in the American Blues Legends tours in 1973 and 1975 and releasing more music, including a solo album Home Sweet Homesick James and a duo album with Snooky Pryor for a UK label. His song “Gotta Move” was later covered by Elmore James and Fleetwood Mac, and he is referenced in the Deacon Blue song “Fergus Sings the Blues.”

From 1972 until his death, Homesick lived in several cities, including Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Fresno, and finally Springfield, Missouri, where he passed away in 2006.