Fred McDowell (January 12, 1904 – July 3, 1972) known by his stage name; Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American Hill country blues singer and guitar player.
Career
McDowell was born in Rossville, Tennessee. His parents, who were farmers, died when McDowell was a youth. He started playing guitar at the age of 14 and played at dances around Rossville. Wanting a change from plowing fields, he moved to Memphis in 1926 where he started to work in the Buck-Eye feed mill where they processed cotton into oil and other products. He also had a number of other jobs and played music for tips. Later in 1928 he moved south into Mississippi to pick cotton. He finally settled in Como, Mississippi, about 40 miles south of Memphis, in 1940 or 1941 (or maybe the late 1950s), and worked steadily as a farmer, continuing to perform music at dances and picnics. Initially he played slide guitar using a pocket knife and then a slide made from a beef rib bone, later switching to a glass slide for its clearer sound. He played with the slide on his ring finger.
"You Gotta Move" is a song written by Fred McDowell and Rev. Gary Davis. Being a well-known song of McDowell's, covered by The Rolling Stones in their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.
The album which included this song was recorded at McDowell's home in Como, Mississippi in 1964, and in Holy Springs, Mississippi and Berkeley, California in 1965.
Personnel: Mississippi Fred McDowell (vocals, bottle-neck guitar); Eli Green (vocals, guitar); Annie McDowell (vocals).
CD Release Date: November 30, 1993
Label: Arhoolie Records
Lyrics:
You got to move
You got to move
You got to move, child
You got to move
But when the Lord
Gets ready
You got to move
(guitar)
You may be high
You may be low
You may be rich, child
You may be po'
But when the Lord gets ready
You've got to...
published: 05 Oct 2009
Mississippi Fred McDowell - Goin Down to the River
alright, finally! some Freddie gettin' down acoustically. Enjoy!
published: 06 Apr 2006
Mississippi Fred McDowell: Baby Please Don't Go
track 1 off the Mississippi Fred McDowell record "I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll." copyright: Mississippi Fred McDowell and EMI-Capital Records, 2001
published: 30 May 2012
Mississippi Fred McDowell - Shake 'Em On Down
McDowell performing the classic north Mississippi hill country song "Shake 'Em On Down".
published: 11 May 2009
You Gotta Move
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
You Gotta Move · Mississippi Fred McDowell
You Gotta Move
℗ 1989 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Originally released on Arhoolie Records.
Released on: 1989-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
published: 20 Apr 2020
Mississippi Fred McDowell - When I Lay My Burden Down
McDowell playing a short electric version of "When I Lay My Burden Down"
published: 11 May 2009
Fred McDowell - Write Me a Few of Your Lines
From the 1969 documentary Blues Maker, in the public domain.
published: 26 Aug 2012
Mississippi Fred McDowell 👉🏽 Live at The Gaslight , N.Y. 1971( Full Album) Set One
published: 03 Apr 2024
Mississippi Fred Mcdowell (Live Memphis '69)
Excerpt with Fred Mcdowell
@Fat Possum Records & No Sudden Movements present 'Memphis '69'. This concert documentary, shot over 3 days in June of 1969, celebrates an American art form that unites us all. Feat. Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Fred McDowell & so much more.
DVD available here: https://store.fatpossum.com/collections/dvds/products/memphis-69-the-1969-memphis-country-blues-festival
published: 11 Aug 2021
Fred McDowell – Highway 61 (Restored) – Festival (1967)
Newport Folk Festival, 1964. From Murray Lerner's newly restored FESTIVAL (1967).
https://www.criterion.com/films/28889-festival
"You Gotta Move" is a song written by Fred McDowell and Rev. Gary Davis. Being a well-known song of McDowell's, covered by The Rolling Stones in their 1971 albu...
"You Gotta Move" is a song written by Fred McDowell and Rev. Gary Davis. Being a well-known song of McDowell's, covered by The Rolling Stones in their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.
The album which included this song was recorded at McDowell's home in Como, Mississippi in 1964, and in Holy Springs, Mississippi and Berkeley, California in 1965.
Personnel: Mississippi Fred McDowell (vocals, bottle-neck guitar); Eli Green (vocals, guitar); Annie McDowell (vocals).
CD Release Date: November 30, 1993
Label: Arhoolie Records
Lyrics:
You got to move
You got to move
You got to move, child
You got to move
But when the Lord
Gets ready
You got to move
(guitar)
You may be high
You may be low
You may be rich, child
You may be po'
But when the Lord gets ready
You've got to move
(guitar)
You see that woman
That walk the street
You see the policeman
Out on his beat
But when the Lord gets ready
You got to move
(guitar)
You got to move
You got to move
You've got to move, child
You've got to
But when the Lord gets ready
You got to move.
"You Gotta Move" is a song written by Fred McDowell and Rev. Gary Davis. Being a well-known song of McDowell's, covered by The Rolling Stones in their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.
The album which included this song was recorded at McDowell's home in Como, Mississippi in 1964, and in Holy Springs, Mississippi and Berkeley, California in 1965.
Personnel: Mississippi Fred McDowell (vocals, bottle-neck guitar); Eli Green (vocals, guitar); Annie McDowell (vocals).
CD Release Date: November 30, 1993
Label: Arhoolie Records
Lyrics:
You got to move
You got to move
You got to move, child
You got to move
But when the Lord
Gets ready
You got to move
(guitar)
You may be high
You may be low
You may be rich, child
You may be po'
But when the Lord gets ready
You've got to move
(guitar)
You see that woman
That walk the street
You see the policeman
Out on his beat
But when the Lord gets ready
You got to move
(guitar)
You got to move
You got to move
You've got to move, child
You've got to
But when the Lord gets ready
You got to move.
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
You Gotta Move · Mississippi Fred McDowell
You Gotta Move
℗ 1989 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Originally r...
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
You Gotta Move · Mississippi Fred McDowell
You Gotta Move
℗ 1989 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Originally released on Arhoolie Records.
Released on: 1989-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
You Gotta Move · Mississippi Fred McDowell
You Gotta Move
℗ 1989 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Originally released on Arhoolie Records.
Released on: 1989-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Excerpt with Fred Mcdowell
@Fat Possum Records & No Sudden Movements present 'Memphis '69'. This concert documentary, shot over 3 days in June of 1969, celebra...
Excerpt with Fred Mcdowell
@Fat Possum Records & No Sudden Movements present 'Memphis '69'. This concert documentary, shot over 3 days in June of 1969, celebrates an American art form that unites us all. Feat. Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Fred McDowell & so much more.
DVD available here: https://store.fatpossum.com/collections/dvds/products/memphis-69-the-1969-memphis-country-blues-festival
Excerpt with Fred Mcdowell
@Fat Possum Records & No Sudden Movements present 'Memphis '69'. This concert documentary, shot over 3 days in June of 1969, celebrates an American art form that unites us all. Feat. Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Fred McDowell & so much more.
DVD available here: https://store.fatpossum.com/collections/dvds/products/memphis-69-the-1969-memphis-country-blues-festival
"You Gotta Move" is a song written by Fred McDowell and Rev. Gary Davis. Being a well-known song of McDowell's, covered by The Rolling Stones in their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.
The album which included this song was recorded at McDowell's home in Como, Mississippi in 1964, and in Holy Springs, Mississippi and Berkeley, California in 1965.
Personnel: Mississippi Fred McDowell (vocals, bottle-neck guitar); Eli Green (vocals, guitar); Annie McDowell (vocals).
CD Release Date: November 30, 1993
Label: Arhoolie Records
Lyrics:
You got to move
You got to move
You got to move, child
You got to move
But when the Lord
Gets ready
You got to move
(guitar)
You may be high
You may be low
You may be rich, child
You may be po'
But when the Lord gets ready
You've got to move
(guitar)
You see that woman
That walk the street
You see the policeman
Out on his beat
But when the Lord gets ready
You got to move
(guitar)
You got to move
You got to move
You've got to move, child
You've got to
But when the Lord gets ready
You got to move.
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
You Gotta Move · Mississippi Fred McDowell
You Gotta Move
℗ 1989 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Originally released on Arhoolie Records.
Released on: 1989-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Excerpt with Fred Mcdowell
@Fat Possum Records & No Sudden Movements present 'Memphis '69'. This concert documentary, shot over 3 days in June of 1969, celebrates an American art form that unites us all. Feat. Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Fred McDowell & so much more.
DVD available here: https://store.fatpossum.com/collections/dvds/products/memphis-69-the-1969-memphis-country-blues-festival
Fred McDowell (January 12, 1904 – July 3, 1972) known by his stage name; Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American Hill country blues singer and guitar player.
Career
McDowell was born in Rossville, Tennessee. His parents, who were farmers, died when McDowell was a youth. He started playing guitar at the age of 14 and played at dances around Rossville. Wanting a change from plowing fields, he moved to Memphis in 1926 where he started to work in the Buck-Eye feed mill where they processed cotton into oil and other products. He also had a number of other jobs and played music for tips. Later in 1928 he moved south into Mississippi to pick cotton. He finally settled in Como, Mississippi, about 40 miles south of Memphis, in 1940 or 1941 (or maybe the late 1950s), and worked steadily as a farmer, continuing to perform music at dances and picnics. Initially he played slide guitar using a pocket knife and then a slide made from a beef rib bone, later switching to a glass slide for its clearer sound. He played with the slide on his ring finger.