Henry Qualls
Henry Qualls | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Henry Miles |
| Also known as | Henry Lee Qualls |
| Born | July 8, 1934 Elmo, Kaufman County, Texas, United States |
| Died | December 7, 2003 (aged 69) Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Texas blues, country blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1950s–2003 |
| Labels | Dallas Blues Society |
Henry Qualls (July 8, 1934 – December 7, 2003)[1] was an American Texas and country blues guitarist and singer. He found success late in his life after being "discovered" in 1993 by the Dallas Blues Society.[1][2][3] He released his only album in 1994 but toured globally playing at a number of festivals.
The Dallas Observer noted that "Qualls, whether unearthing obscurities from Jimmy Reed or Lowell Fulson or Blind Willie Johnson or bearing down upon his own material, is a purist's dream-come-true, attacking his 36 year-old guitar with a demon-fire ferociousness first heard in the playing of Son House and other blues masters long gone to hell."[3]
Life and career
According to the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc, Qualls was born John Henry Miles[4] in Elmo, Kaufman County, Texas, a small settlement forty miles east of Dallas.[3] He became known as Henry Lee Qualls as a child, after his mother married Scottie Moore Qualls.[4] He grew up in Cedar Grove, Texas, and later attended Wills Point High School. He learned the rudiments of the guitar, which he named Mabelene (variously Mabelline or Maybelline), from his grandmother. Qualls originally played gospel music at his local church.[5] In his youth, he was further instructed in guitar playing by Emmitt Williams, and he traveled to Dallas to watch Lightnin' Hopkins, Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson, and Frankie Lee Sims in concert.[6]
In 1955 he married Ethel Mae Cooper, and together they had eleven children.
As a result of this exposure, Qualls performed at the Utrecht Blues Festival, where Juke Blues noted he was a surprise hit.[3] This led to engagements across Europe and the United States, including performances at the Long Beach Blues Festival (1996), the Chicago Blues Festival, and the King Biscuit Blues Festival. Despite this newfound success, Qualls continued to live in a house next to the Texas and Pacific Railway line in Elmo. He occasionally performed in Deep Ellum and Fort Worth, but generally he hated the urban environment. His rapid rise to fame is chronicled in the book In Search of the Blues: A Journey to the Soul of Black Texas.[7]
On December 7, 2003, Qualls died in a hospital in Dallas of complications from intestinal surgery, at the age of 69. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Elmo. He was survived by his wife, Ethel, and nine children.[5]
Discography
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Blues from Elmo, Texas | Dallas Blues Society |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Henry Qualls: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
- ^ Christensen, Thor. "Henry Qualls: East Texas Country-Blues Singer Found Success Late in Life". Dallas Morning News.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Henry Lee Qualls (1934–2003)". Findagrave.com. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
- ^ ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b c "Henry Qualls Obituary". Legacy.com: Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
- ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
- ISBN 9780292778566. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
- ^ "Henry Qualls, Blues from Elmo, Texas: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.com. 1995-11-22. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
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