Biography
Mississippi's Delta blues scene included the little-known guitarist and singer Willie "Poor Boy" Lofton, whose approach aligns broadly with the styles of Charley Patton and Tommy Johnson. Eerily reminiscent of the latter's vocals, Lofton delivered his standout track "Dark Road Blues" as an adaptation of Johnson's "Big Road Blues," showcasing a staccato guitar technique that seems partly modeled on Johnson's playing. Though his exact birthplace remains uncertain, Lofton departed from Jackson, Mississippi, heading to Chicago during the mid-1930s. Between August 1934 and November 1935, he completed two sessions in that city, resulting in eight recordings issued by Decca Records, one of which was "Dark Road Blues." Beyond these, no additional sessions have come to light, and Lofton went back to Jackson in 1942, reportedly passing away two decades afterward.