Robert Petway was a pivotal figure in the Delta blues style, although his life remains shrouded in mystery, leaving blues aficionados and researchers with scant details about his biography. What is known is that he was an African American blues singer and guitarist who made a significant impact with his music in the early 1940s. His exact birth and death dates are unclear, but it's generally believed that he was active during the 1930s and 1940s, and he is thought to have come from the Mississippi Delta region. Petway's most renowned contribution to the blues legacy is his original recording of "Catfish Blues," a song that would go on to become a standard of the genre, covered and adapted by numerous artists including Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, and others.

Despite the scarcity of concrete information about his life, Petway's music has endured. His work is characterized by raw emotional intensity and masterful slide guitar technique. Though his recorded output is limited, with just 16 songs known to exist, those tracks are highly regarded by blues enthusiasts and have been reissued in various compilation albums over the years. The influence of Robert Petway extends beyond his own era, with echoes of his guitar style and lyrical themes appearing in the work of many blues musicians who followed. The albums "Ride 'Em on Down - a Robert Petway Anthology" and "Mississippi Blues (1935-1951)" are testaments to his enduring legacy in the pantheon of blues music.

Genres

Delta Blues

Traditional Blues

Latest Release

Ride 'Em on Down - a Robert Petway Anthology

Robert Petway

Album - 14 Tracks - Released December 31, 2021