Biography
Born on 4 July 1905 in Hightower, Texas, Holmes lived primarily in Houston after 1930, aside from a stretch of wartime defense work farther north. By the time he established himself there he was already performing as a blues singer and guitarist in the clubs along Dowling Street. The first tracks he cut, in 1947, remained unissued when the producer judged the sound excessively close to Lightnin’ Hopkins, yet three titles from the same date reached the public on Miltone and Gotham, undermining that verdict. Several of Holmes’ lyrics drew on material by Alger ‘Texas’ Alexander, with “Alley Special” fashioned directly from two of Alexander’s recordings, but the words and the music, vocal melodies included, register as wholly improvised. His guitar lines deliberately cloud the underlying beat through syncopations, abrupt tempo changes, and sudden, seemingly haphazard runs. Holmes had abandoned blues by 1950; when he was last encountered, in 1967, he had lost a leg and devoted himself to religion.