David Wylie also known as "Little David", b. August 2, 1926 in Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia, d. February 15, 1985 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, was a blues singer and guitarist, who recorded four sides for Regal in Atlanta, GA, in 1950, only two of which was released at the time.
Discography:
Little David - Shackles 'Round My Body (1262) [Regal 3271] 1950;
Little David - You're Gonna Weep And Moan (1263) [Regal 3271] 1950;
originally unissued tracks from same session:
- Baby, You Don't Mean Me No Good (1260) [Biograph BLP 12009];
- Baby, You're Gonna Change My Mind (1261) [Biograph BLP 12009];
rec. c. April 1950 at 441 Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta, GA; David Wylie, vocals, guitar (matrices applied in May 1950).
* * *
By Peter B. Lowry
While a great number of blues artists that have been found in the Atlanta area are of one generation, and are usually in their 60s or so, there are some of lesser years who perform in the Piedmont style of that city. They are generally more eclectic than earlier musicians with regard to those who were influences via phonograph record, etc. but they will generally work within the regional style. Among these artists around Atlanta is David Wylie, known from one record issued about 1950 by Regal Records that used the nom du disque of Little David ("Shackles round my body/You gonna weep and moan" ..Regal 3271). The record, as well as two unissued sides of Biograph, show some John Lee Hooker in them, but are finger-picked on a National and owe even greater allegiance to the Piedmont.
David Wylie was born in Washington, Ga. - located in Wilkes County - the first of July 1926 and began to play the guitar in the vicinity of 14 after seeing a man play in the streets...he liked the attention he was getting! Starting in open tuning (Sebastopol) he began with old reliable "John Henry", learning first from one Ollie (or Arnie) Brown in Washington. Using a pocket knife, he perfected other songs..."Lost John", "Baby please don't go" ('When it came out' ie: on record), "Key to the highway", and "Stranger Blues" (probably Tampa Red's song). Among the other guitar pickers in his area was a Lee Mays, also a "'Vassapool" man. It was this open tuning he used for all songs until coming to Atlanta about 1940 when one Wade (full name forgotten) taught him how to tune into standard ('C Natural') tuning. His talent as a guitarist grew in the fertile atmosphere of Atlanta, what with meeting such people as Curley Weaver and Willie McTell, and later Buddy Moss ("after his troubles"). As he says of his early ability on his first $6 guitar, "I would just bang on it...you got to work with a guitar five days and five nights a week...at least." He eventually became proficient enough to go and play at the 81 Theatre on Decatur Street, as one of the local, introductory acts to the stage show...for this he got $6. After the show, the man who booked locals for the 81, known as "Snake", took him to the 410 Club on Central Avenue...there he played from 11 pm to 2 am, making another $5-$6 on top of what he got from the theatre. Seemed pretty good, then!
In August of 1949 he was brought to a recording session by Curley Weaver...this being the fine set of sessions Fred McMullen did for his own Regal label, that also included Frank Edwards and McTell (on Savoy/ Realm and the Biograph reissues). After a test he went to a studio at 441 Edgewood Avenue to record - there he put down four songs for the label. It becomes a bit confusing after that...David says he went to New York later that same year to make records, in the company of Curley, Harry Slick Johnson and Atlanta's own Washboard Sam. When interviewed, he claims it was for the same company as before (ie: Regal, but there is nothing to back this up that can be ascertained at the moment. It also seems unlikely it was for SIW, the label for whom Curley did his last sessions, as there is nothing else Piedmont on the label issued, other than Terry/McGhee (unless Wylie is the mysterious "Sugar Man"). To make matters worse, "Slick" Johnson's sole released item was on the Peacock label' David and Curley preferred to work solo, but there was a bass on this session, at least on his sides...David also claims he dubbed a second guitar part to the original (was this possible in 1949?). Anyway, they all travelled together that November to New York for the sessions, where they were put up in a hotel on 54th Street. They played one night in "a Jewish (owned?) club" and were recorded there as well as in the studio - could this be the infamous Moe Asch?. Alec Seward said this is how he and Hayes were done)..two songs by Wylie in the club, and a total of three in the studio.
Taken directly from his job in Stone Mountain, David was away a total of a month...they returned through Tennessee, playing as they traveled. (Since there is no trace of this session, it is open to question - David does remember he used the "Key to the Highway" motif and melody for one of his songs). Upon return to Atlanta, he was of course, now jobless, and this soured him a bit on music, though he never ceased playing. It seems that Buddy Moss may have asked him to play second on a session (either the abortive Delmark attempt of 1963, or the Columbia in 1966), but he wasn't interested. David can be elusive and all, but it is understandable...he got no pay for past sessions, and it seems Curley was the only one to get any money out of the New York jaunt (?). He is a fine, slightly eclectic player who can still put down convincing blues...if one can catch up with him' It is hoped that he will one day sit still long enough to to properly recorded. He is rather reluctant at the moment, but one never knows.