Everybody Calm Down (It's Just Music)

Abstract

This thesis explores the life of Richard "Big Boy" Henry, a blues musician from Beaufort, North Carolina. Born May 26, 1921, Big Boy came close to success in his late 20s and early 30s, but eventually gave up after a failed recording session in New York. However, he returned to the music scene in 1983 with the release of his first song, "Mr. President," and went on to tour both the U.S. and Europe, performing alongside acts such as Sonny Terry and John Lee Hooker. It is rumored that Big Boy put down the guitar for 30 years before rediscovering his passion for playing, and this thesis examines whether that really was the case. In addition, it explores the town where Big Boy lived for much of his life, the juke joint he played in when first learning his craft, and the music and lyrics that he made. Finally, integral to this thesis are the interviews with his children and former band members, who shed new light on a man that was too easily, and too often, summarized as a blues caricature.