Mississippi Sheiks

The Mississippi Sheiks were an influential American blues and string band act from the late 1920s and early 1930s, best known for a run of widely recorded sides that helped shape the sound of early country blues and what would later be called “roots” music. Centered around brothers Lonnie Chatmon (fiddle) and Sam Chatmon (guitar/banjo, vocals), the group blended blues with dance-oriented string band rhythms and a polished ensemble feel that made their records popular in their day—and enduring touchstones for later musicians.

Their best-known song is “Sitting on Top of the World,” first recorded in 1930, which became a standard that’s been covered and adapted across blues, country, and rock for decades. Much of what listeners know today comes from compilation releases that collect their 1929–1931 recordings, capturing the Sheiks at the height of the pre-war blues era.