Biography
Nellie Florence ranks among the lesser-known figures in the classic blues recordings of the 1920s, a status shared by numerous contemporaries. Her modest distinction stems from the presence of Barbecue Bob as accompanist on the sole pair of tracks she cut in 1929. Formerly Bobby Hicks, that guitarist routinely collaborated with his brother Charles Hicks. Together the two musicians backed Florence on “Jacksonville Blues” and “Midnight Weeping Blues” during an Atlanta session, having traveled from their nearby base in Columbia, South Carolina. No additional recordings featuring Florence have surfaced.
Critics reviewing these sides, which continue to appear on both Barbecue Bob anthologies and various anthologies of female blues performers or related sub-genres, have labeled her Barbecue Bob’s “gal pal.” The phrase carries no implication of a romantic tie to either Hicks brother, an assumption that would demand biographical details about the singer far beyond what has yet been recovered. Assessments of her vocal approach consistently characterize it as “lively,” occasionally even “aggressive.”
Critics reviewing these sides, which continue to appear on both Barbecue Bob anthologies and various anthologies of female blues performers or related sub-genres, have labeled her Barbecue Bob’s “gal pal.” The phrase carries no implication of a romantic tie to either Hicks brother, an assumption that would demand biographical details about the singer far beyond what has yet been recovered. Assessments of her vocal approach consistently characterize it as “lively,” occasionally even “aggressive.”