Robert Lee McCollum was born on November 30, 1909, and passed away on November 5, 1967. He was an American blues musician who used the stage names Robert Lee McCoy and Robert Nighthawk. He was the father of blues musician Sam Carr. Robert Nighthawk was added to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1983.

Life and career

McCollum was born in Helena, Arkansas, on November 30, 1909. He left home at a young age and began playing music in public places for tips. After traveling through southern Mississippi, he lived in Memphis, Tennessee, for a time. There, he played with local musicians, including the Memphis Jug Band. A key influence during this period was Houston Stackhouse, who taught him to play slide guitar. They also performed together on the radio in Jackson, Mississippi.

Later, after more travels in Mississippi, he decided to use his mother’s name. As Robert Lee McCoy, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in the mid-1930s. He played with local musicians such as Henry Townsend, Big Joe Williams, and Sonny Boy Williamson. This led to two recording sessions in 1938, where he and three other musicians recorded together at the Victor Records studio in Aurora, Illinois. He also recorded songs under his own name, including "Prowling Night-Hawk," which he recorded on May 5, 1937. This song later inspired the stage name he used. These recordings helped other musicians pursue careers in Chicago blues.

McCoy continued to travel, playing and recording music alone and with other musicians under different names. Kansas City Red was his drummer from the early 1940s until around 1946. He recorded Kansas City Red’s song "The Moon Is Rising."

McCoy became well-known on local radio stations, including WROX. A teenager named Ike Turner joined his band as a roadie in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Robert Lee McCoy disappeared in the mid-1940s.

A few years later, he reappeared in 1948 as the electric slide guitarist Robert Nighthawk. He began recording for Aristocrat and Chess Records, the same label that worked with Muddy Waters. In 1949 and 1950, Nighthawk and Waters had similar musical styles, leading to competition for attention. Waters was more successful because he was more reliable and confident on stage.

In 1949, Nighthawk released the single "Annie Lee Blues"/"Black Angel Blues" on Aristocrat Records. The single was released under the name "The Nighthawks," which included Nighthawk, pianist Ernest Lane, and bassist Willie Dixon. "Annie Lee Blues" reached number 13 on the Billboard R&B chart on December 31, 1949. Nighthawk’s final recording session for Chess (formerly Aristocrat) took place in 1950. He continued to perform and record for United Records and States Records in 1951 and 1952 but did not gain widespread success.

In 1963, Nighthawk was found playing music in public places in Chicago. This led to more recordings and performances, as well as his return to Arkansas, where he played on the radio program King Biscuit Time on KFFA. He also performed live on Chicago’s Maxwell Street until 1964.

He had a stroke followed by a heart attack and died of heart failure at his home in Helena, Arkansas, on November 5, 1967, at the age of 57. He is buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Helena.

Legacy

Nighthawk was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1983.

In 2007, the Mississippi Blues Commission placed a historical marker in Friars Point, Mississippi, along the Mississippi Blues Trail. The marker was located in Friars Point because Nighthawk lived in the town during different times of his traveling career. He recorded the song "Friars Point Blues" in 1940.

Recordings

• Bricks in My Pillow (1977), a reissue of recordings made in 1951 and 1952 for United Records
• Prowling with the Nighthawk (Document), featuring 26 songs recorded for Bluebird, Decca, Aristocrat, and United Records between 1937 and 1952, including "My Sweet Lovin' Woman" (written under his real name, Robert McCollum)
• Ramblin' Bob (Saga), containing 24 tracks recorded for Victor, Decca, Chess, and United Records between 1937 and 1952
• Live on Maxwell Street (1964), performed as Robert Nighthawk and His Flames of Rhythm (reissued by Rounder Records in 1980 and 1991; some versions include a longer interview with Nighthawk)
• The Aristocrat of the Blues, released by MCA/Chess (CHD2-9387)
• Sweet Black Angel (And More Chicago Blues), released by Jasmine (JASMCD-3164)

Sources and external links

• "Bricks in My Pillow" – The Story of Robert Nighthawk
• Jean Buzelin wrote the notes on the album Ramblin' Bob by Saga Blues, published in 2004.
• Joel Snow wrote an article titled "Bricks in My Pillow: The Robert Nighthawk Story" for Big Road Blues Show, found on the website nighthawk.sundayblues.org. Accessed on November 17, 2022.
• A list of Robert Nighthawk's songs and albums is available at Discogs.
• Information about Robert Nighthawk is also found on IMDb, a website that lists details about movies and music.