Mance Lipscomb

Much like Leadbelly and Mississippi John Hurt, Mance Lipscomb found that being pigeonholed as a pure blues performer failed to capture the true span of his abilities. Born April 9, 1895, in Navasota, Texas, he spent his entire existence working the land as a sharecropper and tenant farmer, remaining unrecorded until 1960. The term “songster” more accurately described the range of material he delivered. A self-assured yet modest individual, Lipscomb liked to emphasize that he was a trained musician whose command of classic blues, ballads, pop songs, and spirituals across numerous keys and stylistic approaches set him apart. Throughout the 1960s he performed at many blues and folk festivals, issued multiple albums on the Arhoolie label, and, in 1970, placed one LP, Trouble in Mind, with the major imprint Reprise. Four years afterward he stepped away from the festival circuit; he died in his native Navasota on January 30, 1976, at the age of 81. Although his recording career began late, the more than ninety songs in his repertoire left behind an enduring body of work.