Norton, 1993

Mance Lipscomb (1895-1976) lived most his life in the Brazos River bottomlands in and around Navasota, Texas. He spent most of these yean as a farmer, sharecropping and renting land, and playing guitar and singing blues and other folksongs at “Saturday night suppers” in the community. His life changed dramatically in 1960, when he was visited by two music researchers. Recordings made for them led to a series of concerts, tours, festival appearances, documentary films, and more recordings that lasted until his death. An outstanding representative of the folk blues tradition, Lipscomb reached hundreds of thousands through recordings and personal appearances and influenced many young folk and rock musicians. His repertoire numbered some 350 songs.