Biography
In the role of an enigmatic presence, McMullen cut sides for ARC during a New York session held in January 1933. His flawless bottleneck blues guitar work accompanied either his personal singing or the contributions of Atlanta-based players Curley Weaver and Buddy Moss. The three also combined forces as a group, Moss switching to harmonica. Only a single appearance in the 1932 Atlanta City Directory mentions McMullen, while Moss asserted that the guitarist headed back to his native Macon, Georgia, once the recordings concluded. Evident in the raw power of ‘De Kalb Chain Gang’—where the lyrics declare ‘They whipped me and they slashed me, forty-five all in my side’—is a likely personal account, hinting that an encounter with the Atlanta musicians occurred en route to Macon right after McMullen’s prison discharge.
Singles