DUPREE, William Thomas "Champion Jack".

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Two-page autograph letter signed, with signed photograph. From the collection of Rolling Stones drummer and jazz aficionado Charlie Watts: a poignant memento of the self-proclaimed "last of the New Orleans barrelhouse piano players", a letter addressed to blues vocalist Brenda Bell, a Victoria Spivey tribute artist. At the time of writing, Dupree was around 72 and Bell was 29. The letter reads, in part, original spelling and syntax retained: "My dear love why I did not give you more money you said not to I did not no why did you say that I was thinging that you did not whant no more money from me so I did not seand to you no more money I did not no what was rong at the time you said that as I say I felt so bad I did not think that you love me annymore". Accompanied by the original mailing envelope for the letter, addressed in Dupree's hand, as well as a sheet of European tour information in another hand, with hand-written comments by Dupree; and a photograph signed and dated in black felt tip, "Champion Jack Dupree, 1990".Born in New Orleans around 1910, Dupree (1909 or 1910-1992) was taught the piano by Willie "Drive 'em Down" Hall and travelled widely working as a professional musician, while also developing a career as a boxer with some 107 fights on his record. He had a number of minor hits in the 30s and 40s, before his biggest success with "Walking the Blues" in 1955, and, in 1959, the year after recording his "masterwork", the album Blues from the Gutter, he left Ameri

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