Tampa Red

Tampa Red
Tampa Red in the early 1930s
Background information
Birth nameHudson Woodbridge
Also known asHudson Whittaker
The Guitar Wizard
Born(1903-01-08)January 8, 1903
Smithville, Georgia, U.S.
DiedMarch 19, 1981(1981-03-19) (aged 78)
Chicago
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter
Instruments
Years active1920s1960s
Labels

Hudson Whittaker (born Hudson Woodbridge; January 8, 1903  March 19, 1981), known as Tampa Red, was an American Chicago blues musician.

His distinctive single-string slide guitar style, songwriting and bottleneck technique influenced other Chicago blues guitarists such as Big Bill Broonzy, Robert Nighthawk, Muddy Waters, and Elmore James. In a career spanning over 30 years, he also recorded pop, R&B and hokum songs. His best-known recordings include "Anna Lou Blues", "Black Angel Blues", "Crying Won't Help You", "It Hurts Me Too", and "Love Her with a Feeling".