Hosea Leavy - Greasy Greens

Guitarist-vocalist Hosea Leavy hailed from a small crossroads town called Althermer, Arkansas, located out about 26 miles from Little Rock. Born in 1927, he learned how to play guitar at an early age from his father, also a blues player in the 1920s and '30s, and soon started performing at house parties and work camps in the late 1940s. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950, Leavy honed his guitar skills performing at USO shows. In 1954 he formed a blues group featuring his younger brother, Calvin Leavy, who was a notable singer. In 1968 fame came to the Leavy brothers when Calvin recorded the blues classic "Cummins Prison Farm," based on the notorious prison work camp in Arkansas, and later made into a film called "Brubaker," starring Robert Redford. The record, released on Soul Beat/Blue Fox, sold over one million copies. The group toured extensively through much of the south with the success of the song. In 1969 Hosea released solo efforts on Riceland Records, backed by Mississippi harp player Willie Cobbs. In 1977 Hosea moved to West Fresno, California and continued his blues career. He has appeared on a number of CDs, including "You Gotta Move," on the New York-based label Fedora. He has performed at blues festivals in Europe. 

Another great one is gone. Fresno, California blues singer and guitarist Hosea Leavy died on Monday, August 12, 2008 of liver cancer. He was 80 years old. Born in Altheimer, Arkansas, just outside of Little Rock, he learned blues guitar from his father, and played throughout Arkansas before venturing out west during the 1960s. In 1968, Hosea's younger brother Calvin Leavy would record the hit record “Cummings Prison Farm” for Soul Beat Records, featuring Hosea's combo as the backing band. This led to a string of subsequent singles for both Calvin and Hosea. In 1977, Hosea settled permanently in Fresno, where he became a major part of that town's blues scene. In the 1990s, drummer Chris Millar produced sessions with Hosea that led to his only CDs, You Gotta Move, and a collaboration with Harmonica Slim called Cold Tacos and Warm Beer on the Fedora record label. A few additional cuts appear on the now out of print CD West Fresno Blues Masters, also on Fedora. A stirring vocalist and down home guitarist, Hosea had toured Europe and recently made a well-received appearance at the San Francisco Blues Festival.

Originally a cassette only release from 1993 on the Fedora label and it's excellent. Many thanks to Frits for this one. Thanks to Kempen for pointing out that it has been re-released on the cd "West Fresno Blues".

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