AKERS, GARFIELD. Encyclopedia of Blues

b. ca. 1900; Brights, MS
d. late 1950s; perhaps Memphis, TN
Akers, a first-generation bluesman, had a repetitive,
percussive guitar style that reached a new sense of
urgency on duets with Joe Callicott and influenced
other musicians from Memphis and beyond. He had
an expressive, high-pitched voice, danced, and was a
popular entertainer. Akers recorded four sides for
Vocalion in 1929 and 1930 with Callicott, including
his noted ‘‘Cottonfield Blues Parts 1 and 2’’ but
remained essentially a local musician.
DAVID HARRISON
Bibliography
Larkin; Santelli
O’Neal, Jim. ‘‘Garfield Akers: To Beale Street and the Juke
Joints.’’ Living Blues no. 50 (Spring 1981): 27–28.
Wardlow, Gayle Dean. ‘‘Garfield Akers and Mississippi Joe
Callicott: From the Hernando Cottonfields.’’ Living
Blues no. 50 (Spring 1981): 26–27.
Discography: DGR

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