Sampson Pittman (1900 - 1945)

Born 17 Mar 1900 in Joiner, Mississippi, Arkansas, USA

Ancestors

Died 10 Jun 1945 at age 45 in Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, USA

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Biography

Sampson Pittman is Notable.

Sampson "Buddy" Pittman is notable for his significant contributions to Delta blues music, particularly through his 1938 recordings alongside fellow musicians Calvin Frazier, which were captured by renowned American folklorist Alan Lomax. His songs, such as "Levee Camp Story," address racial issues and shed light on the struggles faced by farmers and laborers, reflecting the cultural and social landscape of his time. His music is preserved in the Archive of American Folk Song, a collection established by the Library of Congress, and continues to be studied and appreciated for its historical and musical importance. This marks a pivotal era in American music history, and showcasing the evolving attitudes towards race and labor during his lifetime.^[1]

Sampson Pittman was born on March 17^[2], 1900^[3], in Joiner, a town in Mississippi County, Arkansas.^[4] He was the son of Dave Pittman and Evaline Powell Pittman.^[3] Unfortunately, his father passed away when Sampson was just a toddler, leaving Evaline alone to raise him.^[5]

In the early years of his life, Sampson lived in Scoot Township, Mississippi County. By 1910, the family had moved to McGavock Township in the same county, where his mother had remarried and Sampson was growing up.^[3]

Before long, Sampson relocated to Blytheville, another town in Mississippi County, Arkansas. From there, he moved north to Detroit. Based on his recordings from 1938, "I Been Down in the Circle Before" and "Levee Camp Story," it is evident that Sampson worked on the levees in Arkansas. In these recordings, he mentioned Laconia Circle, which is a circular levee that encloses Snow Lake and Laconia, located at the end of Arkansas Highway 85. Both songs are preserved in the Archive of American Folk Song, a collection established by the Library of Congress.^[6]

In Detroit, on September 7, 1937, Sampson married Myrtle Taylor.^[7] By 1940, they lived together in Wayne County, Michigan.^[8] Sampson, also known as "Buddy" Pittman, was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His only known recordings were made in 1938 alongside fellow Delta blues musicians Calvin Frazier, captured by the American folklorist Alan Lomax.^[9]

In 1992, posthumously, an album titled The Devil Is Busy was released, featuring tracks from Lomax's recordings, including "I Been Down In The Circle Before," "Interview," "Levee Camp Story," "Highway 61 Blue," "Brother Low-Down And Sister Do-Dad (Parts 1, 2, and 3)," "Brother Low-Down And Sister Do-Dad - Version 2," "Cotton Farmer Blues," and "Welfare Blues." Sampson's songs addressed racial issues and depicted the struggles faced by farmers and laborers. His song "Levee Camp Story" is particularly noteworthy, as it reflects changing racial attitudes and marks a decline in peonage practice.^[10]

Tragically, Sampson Pittman's life was cut short when he succumbed to pneumonia on June 10, 1945, in Saginaw, located in Saginaw County, Michigan.^[4] He was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw, Michigan, leaving behind a legacy of influential Delta blues music that continues to resonate with listeners worldwide.^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. Sampson Pittman. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. February 8, 2024, 02:53 UTC. Available at: "[[Wikipedia:Sampson_Pittman}Sampson Pittman]]." Accessed April 2, 2024.
2. ↑ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KQK-6RVM : 10 February 2023), Sampson Pittman.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} 1900 United States Federal Census: Year: 1900; Census Place: Scoot, Mississippi, Arkansas; Roll: 68; Page: 17; Enumeration District: 0060 Ancestry Record 7602 #20710731
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Death: "Michigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952"
   Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 60872 #2027885
   Sampson Pittman death 10 Jun 1945 (born 17 Mar 1905), son of David Pittman, in Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, USA.
5. ↑ 1910 United States Federal Census: Year: 1910; Census Place: McGavock, Mississippi, Arkansas; Roll: T624_58; Page: 8b; Enumeration District: 0090; FHL microfilm: 1374071 Ancestry Record 7884 #189047453
6. ↑ Reuss, Richard A., Edited by Green, Archie, "Songs about Work", Special Publications of the Folklore Institute No. 3, Indiana University, Bloomington 1993. "Songs about work." Accessed 2 Apr 2024.
7. ↑ Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952: Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 288; Film Title: 82 Wayne 187560-190799; Film Description: Wayne (September-October 1937) Ancestry Record 9093 #1201944
8. ↑ 1940 Census: "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHMR-FFH : Wed Apr 05 02:54:00 UTC 2023), Entry for Samson Pitman and Mertle Pitman, 1940.
9. ↑ American Folk Music and Folklore Recordings 1983, American Forklife Center, The Library of Congress. "A Selected List of American Folk Music." 2 Apr 2024.
10. ↑ Discogs, Laurie Records, Released 1992. "Sampson Pittman - The Devil is Busy." Accessed 2 Apr 2024.
11. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66603042/samson-pittman: accessed April 2, 2024), memorial page for Samson Pittman (17 Mar 1904–10 Jun 1945), Find A Grave: Memorial #66603042, citing Forest Lawn Cemetery, Saginaw, Saginaw County, Michigan, USA; Maintained by Anonymous (contributor 46795196).

See Also

• Wikidata: Item Q62709895