The tragic story of Charles Caldwell
Unfortunately, the story of Charles W. Caldwell is not the only one of the kind among bluesmen, from Mississippi or elsewhere. When this album, recorded in 2003, was released in February 2004, Caldwell born in 1943 in the Mississippi town of Water Valley, had left this world five months earlier. Hence the choice of the song "Remember Me" as the album's title, certainly chosen by the excellent Fat Possum label whose boss "discovered" this North Mississippi Hill Country blues musician unrecorded so far.
The Gibson guitar model Caldwell played all his life ►Forty-six years earlier, while working on his father's farm, Caldwell bought a hollow-body Gibson ES-125 guitar, learned how to play by himself, and used this same worn out instrument until the end. This thin and tall man, usually topped by a cow-boy hat, led a hard working life, taking care of his own modest farm around Coffeeville (Mississippi), while working first as a government forest keeper (hunting for raccoons whenever he could !), then in an air conditioning equipment repair plant in Grenada, about 25 kms away, after nearly getting severely wounded several times with his chainsaw. Still, he managed to acquire an old Cadillac car, reason why he was nicknamed Charles "Cadillac" Caldwell.
His performances were limited to occasional local festive gatherings and juke joints, often playing for no more than free liquor. Altogether, his life was not different from that of many of his fellow Mississippi bluesmen who lived a poor and simple life away from the lights of fame.
The album itself was not recorded in vain though : these eleven songs keep Caldwell memory alive. Unfortunately, as time goes by, such discoveries are less and less frequent.
Another old timer gone… Sigh !Anecdote
Charles Caldwell reflected
by the front chrome
of his Cadillac in 1995
(photo © Bill Steber) ►
Unfortunately, it is impossible to find
any video of Caldwell playing live.
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