Craft: Charley Patton

Charley Patton (1891-1934) was a major blues poet and musician in the 1920s¹. He is briefly referenced in the movie Sinners: Sammie is gifted what is supposedly Charley Patton’s guitar from his twin uncles Smoke and Stack. 

Born in Hinds County, Mississippi, near the town of Edwards, Patton lived most of his life in the Mississippi Delta. In 1897, his family moved 100 miles (160 km) north to the 10,000-acre Dockery Plantation, a cotton farm and sawmill near Ruleville, Mississippi. There, he got his musical training from Henry Sloan, who played an early form of the blues. Patton, in turn, influenced other musicians nearby such as Son House, Howlin’ Wolf, and Robert Johnson. 

Though Patton was only about 5 ft. 5 in. tall, his voice supposedly could be heard for 500 yards without amplification. He was also known for pyrotechnical showmanship, such as playing guitar on his knees, behind his head, or behind his back, like a 1920s Hendrix or something.