No Depression – Bob Gottlieb

Watermelon Slim’s singular journey to the blues seems to be the diametric opposite of the great majority of most of those who came to/found the blues.  He was born in Boston to an Upper Crust family as William Homans III.  His initial introduction to the blues was the family maid in Asheville, NC;  she sang John Lee  Hooker songs while she was doing her chores.  The music immediately connected with him and as he went through his life journey, he rejected family opportunities and went his own way.   Slim has had a variety of disconnected jobs that seem completely unrelated; such as forklift operator, watermelon farmer, newspaper reporter, to name a few.  He somehow led a prison band, he was the only non-inmate in the band.  One constant that did seem to follow him in his journey was music.