Henry Thomas

Henry Thomas (1874–1930?) was an American country blues singer, songster and musician. Although his recording career, in the late 1920s, was brief, Thomas influenced performers including Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Grateful Dead, and Canned Heat. Often billed as "Ragtime Texas", Thomas's style is an early example of what later became known as Texas blues guitar.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1874 (Big Sandy), Died 1930

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, composer, reed aerophone

Notes: Often sub-credited as "Ragtime Texas."

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Brunswick	C1999	10-in.	6/12/1928	Bull doze blues	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and reed pipes or whistling	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, reed aerophone, composer
Brunswick	C2000	10-in.	6/12/1928	Don’t ease me in	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C2001	10-in.	6/12/1928	Texas easy street blues	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C2002	10-in.	6/13/1928	Texas worried blues	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C2003	10-in.	6/13/1928	Fishing blues	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and possibly reed pipes	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, reed aerophone
Brunswick	C2007	10-in.	6/13/1928	Chicken rag	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and possibly reed pipes	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, reed aerophone, composer
Brunswick	C2008	10-in.	6/13/1928	Old country stomp	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and reed pipes or whistling	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, reed aerophone, composer
Brunswick	C4621	10-in.	10/6/1929	Charming Betsy	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and or quill.	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, reed aerophone, composer
Brunswick	C4622	10-in.	10/6/1929	Lovin’ babe	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and possibly quill	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, reed aerophone, composer
Brunswick	C4623	10-in.	10/6/1929	Railroadin’ some	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and quill or reed pipes	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, reed aerophone
Brunswick	C4624	10-in.	10/6/1929	Don’t leave me here	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C1021-C1023	10-in.	7/1/1927	The fox and the hounds	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and reed pipes or whistling	vocalist, instrumentalist, reed aerophone, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C1024-C1025	10-in.	7/1/1927	John Henry	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and reed pipes or whistling	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, reed aerophone
Brunswick	C1026-C1027	10-in.	7/1/1927	Cottonfield blues	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Brunswick	C1028-C1029	10-in.	7/1/1927	Arkansas	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Brunswick	C1198-C1199	10-in.	10/5/1927	The fox and hounds	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and reed pipes or whistling	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, reed aerophone
Brunswick	C1200-C1201	10-in.	10/5/1927	The little red caboose	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and reed pipes or whistling	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, reed aerophone, composer
Brunswick	C1202-C1203	10-in.	10/5/1927	Bob McKinney	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar and whistling or reed pipes	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, reed aerophone, composer
Brunswick	C1205-C1207	10-in.	10/5/1927	Red River blues	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C1220-C1221	10-in.	10/7/1927	Honey, won’t you allow me one more chance?	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C1222-C1223	10-in.	10/7/1927	Run, Mollie, run	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C1224-C1225	10-in.	10/7/1927	Shanty blues	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C1226-C1227	10-in.	10/7/1927	Woodhouse blues	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C1228-C1229	10-in.	10/7/1927	Jonah in the wilderness	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
Brunswick	C1230-C1231	10-in.	10/7/1927	When the train comes along	Henry Thomas	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Thomas, Henry," accessed November 6, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/353142.

Thomas, Henry. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 6, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/353142.

"Thomas, Henry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 November 2024.