Delaney, “Tom” Thomas Henry (1889-1963)

Born in Charleston; sang in the Jenkins Orphanage choir in the early 1900s; a popular and prolific blues composer/songwriter on Tin Pan Alley and in the 1920s whose songs were used by recording artists of the era; worked as a pianist on vaudeville circuits; he wrote “Jazz-Me Blues” and in 1924, his “Down Home Blues” was a huge success for Ethel Waters and “I Wanna Jazz Some More” became famous for his rhymes about “Miss Susan Green from New Orleans” recorded by Helen Gross; several of his songs were recorded by Bessie Smith; his “Sinful Blues” (1923) was one of many Delaney songs that was exploited by producer, publisher and record company manager, Joe Davis – other examples were Maggie Jones’ recording on the Columbia label of “If I Lose, Let Me Lose” and Clara Smith’s recording of “Troublesome Blues”; Delaney also recorded on his own – “I’m Leavin’ Just to Ease My Worried Mind” and “Bow-Legged Mama” (1925); he was pianist/manager for Ethel Waters; Delaney passed away in Baltimore.

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