PeetieWheatstraw also emphasized a relationship with the Prince of Darkness as a means to attract an audience.
PeetieWheatstraw, though perhaps only a mediocre instrumentalist at best, was quite an adept vocalist and songwriter.
It was because of artists like PeetieWheatstraw that St. Louis was an important musical locale during the 1930s, and he'll always be remembered as one of its greatest sons.
Wheatstraw legend to model characters in his novels Invisible Man and Juneteenth, "PeetieWheatstraw" was the evil half of a twin personality whose challenge was invoked at the start of a pool game.
PeetieWheatstraw recorded in every year of the 1930s save 1933, ultimately producing 175 sides in all with only one rejection, an enormous total for a blues artist in the pre-war period.
In the only known photograph of PeetieWheatstraw, he is shown holding a guitar; curious, as he was a primarily a piano player, although he may have played his own guitar on a couple of recording dates.
PeetieWheatstraw was a hugely popular musician during the 1930s who often publicized himself with the colorful moniker "The Devil's Son-In-Law" or the "High Sheriff of Hell." Pianist PeetieWheatstraw recorded over 160 songs between 1930 and 1941 and his signature vocal phrase "Oh well well" was imitated by many bluesman including Muddy Waters.
PeetieWheatstraw, though perhaps only a mediocre instrumentalist at best, was quite an adept vocalist and songwriter playing very much in the popular urban blues style of the day.
PeetieWheatstraw was killed at the height of his popularity in 1941 when the vehicle he was driving in East St. Louis was struck by an oncoming train at a railroad crossing.
