Kate McTell

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Kate McTell (born Ruthy Kate Williams [1] on August 22, 1911[2] in Savannah, Georgia[3], died Kate Seabrooks October 3, 1991 in Georgia[4]) was an American blues musician and nurse from Jefferson County, Georgia known primarily as the former wife of legendary blues musician Blind Willie McTell, whom she accompanied vocally on several albums. Much of what is known now about her husband comes from an interview that she gave to David Evans for Blues Unlimited magazine in 1977[1].

Contents

[edit] Marriage to Blind Willie McTell

Ruthy (later changed to Ruth) Kate Williams was singing for a high school ceremony in Augusta in 1933 when she was noticed by McTell, who regularly performed in the area.[5][4]They were married on January 11, 1934. For the next six years she often accompanied him on stage, singing or dancing, in places that included Chicago and Atlanta, and in the company of artists such as Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith[4] The two were invited to record for Decca Records by executive Mayo Williams in 1935, but these sessions had extremely limited releases. In late June 1936, they recorded 12 blues songs with Piano Red for Vocalion Records.

In 1939, she obtained a nursing certificate from Grady Hospital in Atlanta,[4] and from 1942 until 1971 she was an army nurse at Fort Gordon hospital, near Augusta. As Willie lived in Atlanta for his career, the two rarely saw each other and drifted apart.[6][4]

[edit] After his death

After her husband's death in 1959, she remarried to Johnny E. Seabrooks, who was in the military, and had two children: April and Earnest[4]. She retired from the hospital in 1971. After Seabrooks' death in 1976,[6]she lived a fairly private life, except for a couple of interviews she gave in 1977 and 1981 about McTell. She died on October 3, 1991.

[edit] Discography

Kate McTell appears on a small number of albums, generally accompanying her husband on vocals.[7]

  • Blind Willie McTell 1927-1949 (Willie McTell)
  • Mississippi-Memphis-Chicago Blues (various)
  • The Essential (Willie McTell)
  • Gospel, Vol. 3: Guitar Evangelists and Bluesmen 1927-1944 (various)
  • Le Gospel 1939-1952 (various) — contains a solo track, "Dying Gambler"

[edit] Note

Some sources (eg, [8][9][10]) give "Ruby Glaze" as a pseudonym, but more authoritative ones [11][12][5], indicate that he had already performed with Ruby Glaze before even meeting Kate. They are also separately credited on some albums.

[edit] Trivia

  • She is referred to in a blues song, "Blind Willie" by Hans Theessink, in the lyric "Ruthy Kate leading Willie by the hand".[13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b http://bluesnet.hub.org/readings/mctell.html
  2. ^ http://zdjecia.musiq.pl/Kate_McTell_BBTNVW.html
  3. ^ http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=840980
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Rhamblin' Rhodes: Blind Willie had a soulmate", by Don Rhodes, Augusta Chronicle, 12 May 2000 [1]
  5. ^ a b Acoustic Guitar magazine, October 2002, No. 118 [2]
  6. ^ a b http://tweedsblues.net/fieldhollars/read.php?f=2&i=38684&t=38684
  7. ^ http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=840980
  8. ^ http://facstaff.unca.edu/sinclair/piedmontblues/mctell.html
  9. ^ http://music.airra.net/mera/Blind%20Willie%20McTell.shtml
  10. ^ http://www.oldtimeherald.org/archive/back_issues/volume-6/6-2/reviews.html
  11. ^ http://blues.discogs.com/release/533613
  12. ^ http://www.john-meekings.co.uk/williemctell.html
  13. ^ http://www.theessink.com/en/albums/hardroad.html#blindwillie

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Printed publications

  • "Rhamblin' Rhodes: Blind Willie had a soulmate", by Don Rhodes, Augusta Chronicle, 12 May 2000 [3]
  • Jill Read, “Kate McTell Remembers: One Travelin’ Man and the Blues,” The Athens Observer, 29 January 1981 [4]
  • Evans, David. "Kate McTell." Blues Unlimited 125 (July/August 1977): 8–16; 127 (November/December 1977): 20–22. [5]

[edit] External links

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