Cat Iron

Cat-Iron, real name William Carridine ['Cat-Iron' was not his actual nickname, but a mishearing of his surname by his "discoverer"], b. September 8 1898 in Roxie, Franklin County, MS (a few miles east of Natchez), d. November 11 1958 in Natchez, Adams County, MS (buried November 17, 1958 at Natchez National Cemetery, Mississippi, Plot I 0 114), blues singer and guitarist.

During the folk and blues revival, "Cat-Iron" was "discovered" and recorded in 1957 by Frederic Ramsey Jr.; the recordings were released in the United States in 1958 on the Folkways label, in the United Kingdom in 1969 on the XTRA label. His song, "Jimmy Bell" has been covered by many other musicians, first by Koerner, Ray & Glover on their 1963 album, Blues, Rags and Hollers, later by Stoney & Meatloaf, The Numbers Band, Peter Lang, The Sharks, Tom Doughty and Watermelon Slim.

Discography:

Cat-Iron Sings Blues And Hymns (1958, Folkways Records)

A1. Poor Boy A Long, Long Way From Home

A2. Don't Your House Look Lonesome

A3. Tell Me, You Didn't Mean Me No Good

A4. Jimmy Bell

A5. I'm Goin' To Walk Your Log

A6. Got A Girl In Ferriday, One In Greenwood Town

B1. Well I'm In Your Hand

B2. When I Lay My Burden Down

B3. Old Time Religion

B4. Fix Me Right

B5. O, The Blood Done Signed My Name

B6. When The Saints Go Marching Home

Rec. / prod. 1957 at Carridine's home at 7 Buckner's Alley in Natchez, Mississippi by Frederic Ramsey Jr.; "Cat Iron", vocals, guitar. Released 1958 the year William Carradine (Cat-Iron) died. This is his first and only recording.

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By Mark A. Humphrey

In 1958, folklorist Frederic Ramsey, Jr. recorded someone named Cat-Iron in Buckner's Alley in Natchez, Mississippi. Ramsey whote a detailed poetic description of his discovery of Cat-Iron for The Saturday Review which, alas, offered no background on the artist. A biographic cipher, Cat-Iron's sole testament is "Cat-Iron Sings Blues and Hymns," described in the 1958 Folkways catalogue as "old-time Negro songs and guitar style."