‘Barbecue Bob’ Robert Hicks

Name: ‘Barbecue Bob’ Robert Hicks
Date of birth: 1902–1931
Place of birth: Walnut Grove, Georgia, United States
Instrument: Guitar
Type of Blues played: Early Country Blues
Name of Group: The Georgia Cotton Pickers

Robert Hicks, also known as Barbecue Bob was an American blues musician who was born on 11 September 1902. He earned the nickname ‘Barbecue Bob’ from his work as a cook in a barbecue establishment.

Hicks was born on 11 September 1902 in Walnut Grove, Georgia. Hicks with his brother Charlie were taught guitar playing by Savannah ‘Dip’ Weaver. Hicks initially played a six-string guitar. Later, after transferring to Atlanta, Georgia, Hicks learned to play the 12-string guitar. He soon became among the popular players of the Atlanta-style blues.

Hick worked several jobs to support himself while playing music. He worked in Tidwells' Barbecue in north Atlanta wherein Dan Hornsby, a scout for Columbia Records, spotted him. Hornsby had Hick pose in his chef’s attire for his gimmick and called him ‘Barbecue Bob’.

Hicks was able to finish 68 78-rpm sides during the span of his career. His first record, Barbecue Blues, sold 15,000 copies. He became Columbia’s best selling artist in that time. On June 1927, he had his second recording session which established his name in the market. The song ‘Mississippi Heavy Water Blues’ was inspired by the floods which devastated the area and became very popular.

Hicks recorded the duet ‘It Won't Be Long Now’ with his brother Charlie (sometimes known as Laughing Charlie or Charlie Lincoln) on 5 November 1927. He also worked with Nellie Florence in April 1928 and produced the song ‘Mississippi Low Levee Blues’. In ‘We Sure Got Hard Times Now’, Hicks described the effects of The Depression. Hicks later recorded some spiritual songs, including Jesus' Blood Can Make Me, Whole Long Ways from Home and When the Saints Go Marching In.

Later Hicks became part of The Georgia Cotton Pickers which included Buddy Moss on harmonica and Curley Weaver on guitar. They recorded several songs including I'm On My Way Down Home (an adaptation of Mississippi Sheiks' Sitting on Top of the World) and Diddle-Da-Diddle (an adaptation of Blind Blake's "Diddie Wa Diddie"). These songs were the last ones to be recorded by Bob.

On 21 October 1931, Hicks died from tuberculosis and pneumonia in Lithonia, Georgia. He was 29 years old. The song Mississippi Heavy Water Blues was played before he was buried.

Hicks’ style of playing guitar can be compared to the playing of claw hammer banjo. Hicks used a 12-string guitar with an open Spanish tuning similar to that of Charley Patton. His voice was distinguished by the use of growls as well as falsettos.

Hicks is considered to have influenced the blues musicians from Atlanta including Buddy Moss, who was present in the recordings of The Georgia Cotton Pickers. However, his style soon became less popular with the emergence of Piedmont blues style. The style featured finger-picking techniques which were more used in the 1920’s to the 1930’s. Charlie later recorded under Columbia but did not achieve his brother’s success. In addition, The song ‘Motherless Child Blues’ was later performed by Eric Clapton.