Snooky Pryor

Only in recent times has Snooky Pryor gained the widespread recognition he deserves for forging the electrified Chicago blues harmonica style that defined the postwar period. He maintained for decades that he pioneered amplification of the harp via public address systems throughout the Windy City, and with no surviving witnesses to challenge the assertion, that account stands. Born James Edward Pryor, he took up the harmonica at eight while still in Mississippi. The two Sonny Boys left a deep imprint on his developing approach as he performed across the Delta region. Chicago first drew him in 1940, after which he completed Army service at nearby Fort Sheridan. Exposure to the potent public address systems there prompted him to secure his own portable amplifier upon discharge. Equipped with a basic rig, he astonished audiences on Maxwell Street in late 1945 through the sheer volume of his harp tone. During the immediate postwar years he cut several pioneering 78s that helped shape the Chicago blues scene. Partnering with guitarist Moody Jones, he recorded “Telephone Blues” and “Boogie” for Planet Records in 1948; the following year he returned to JOB for “Boogy Fool” backed with “Raisin’ Sand,” supported by Jones on bass and guitarist Baby Face Leroy Foster. Additional landmark sides appeared on JOB in 1952–1953, on Parrot in 1953, and on Vee-Jay in 1956 with the coupling “Someone to Love Me” / “Judgment Day,” yet none translated into mainstream sales. By the early 1960s he had largely stepped away from performing, and in 1967 he relocated to Ullin, Illinois, where his whereabouts remained unknown for years. The 1987 Blind Pig release Snooky, produced by guitarist Steve Freund, confirmed that the veteran musician was still active and in strong form. Two further well-regarded albums on Antone’s, Too Cool to Move and In This Mess Up to My Chest, followed. Pryor continued to perform regularly until his death in 2006.