Cargo Records

Electrically Recorded: Prayer Of Death

From the granddaddy of Delta blues comes this incredible compilation of his greatest songs. Charley Patton's influence on music cannot be overstated. He began playing music around 1900 and by the time he was 19, about a decade later, he had already written his most popular tune “Pony Blues” and was on his way to becoming the first superstar of the Delta Blues and a household name. He was soon the most requested performer all over the South and influenced many young musicians, like Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson, to name a few.

But it was not only his mastery of the guitar and incredible vocal style that gained him popularity. His rock star-style showmanship and stage antics – like playing guitar down on his knees or behind his back – with a girl on each arm and drink in hand after the show, made him the idol of young would-be musicians (and non) everywhere he played. And like a true rock star, by age 42 he was dead, which of course, only fuelled his fame.