Lonesome Sundown

Lonesome Sundown distanced himself from the Jimmy Reed influence that shaped many fellow swamp blues artists, his stage name instead arriving as a clever suggestion from producer J.D. Miller. His brooding approach aligned more closely with the gritty authority of Muddy Waters, and as one of the strongest talents in Miller’s south Louisiana roster he delivered a string of foundational swamp classics for Excello Records. Born Cornelius Green, he first took up the guitar in earnest around 1950, drawing initial guidance from Waters and Hooker. In 1955 Zydeco innovator Clifton Chenier brought him aboard as one of two guitarists alongside Phillip Walker. A simple demo convinced Miller to begin recording sessions the following year, after which he placed the newly christened Sundown’s “Leave My Money Alone” with Excello.

Further titles quickly followed. Across the ensuing eight years his distinctive Excello sides encompassed “My Home Is a Prison,” “I’m a Mojo Man,” “I Stood By,” “I’m a Samplin’ Man,” and additional enduring swamp pieces before he stepped away from music in 1965 to focus on church life. Not until 1977 did he return to the studio, cutting the well-received album Been Gone Too Long for the Joliet label under the joint supervision of Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker. Despite its quality and a later Alligator reissue, commercial response remained modest. Only occasional live appearances surfaced afterward from the veteran swamp blues figure.