We’re going to get right to the point here.  A few nights ago, I was listening to the fabulous Barbecue Bob CD entitled Barbecue Bob (Robert Hicks) – The Complete Recorded Works of [sic] Chronological Order – Volume 1 – 25 March 1927 to 13 April 1928 – Document Records (DOCD-5046).  Oh, how that fantastic Piedmont style of guitar overtook me!  In those moments, I realized that I’ve not before presented a brief overview of the life and career of Barbecue Bob (BB) before, so now seems the ideal time to do so.  BB’s fingerpicking on the twelve-string acoustic guitar, based in the Piedmont school of blues guitar and its ragtime tempos, is front-and-center in his work, and lays bare his flawless litheness on the instrument.  It yet again strongly moved me.

He came into the world as Robert Hicks to a family of Walnut Grove, Georgia sharecroppers (Charlie Hicks and Mary Hicks) in mid-September, 1902.  Walnut Grove is a town in Walton County, an area in the central upper third of the state, roughly 37 miles east of Atlanta.  At some point in his early years, young Robert and his family moved to Newton, Georgia, a town in Baker County that was about 203 miles due southeast of Walnut Grove.  It was because of this move that the course of BB’s life was forever framed.

In Newton, BB and his brother, Charlie Hicks, Jr. (aka the blues performer known as both Charlie Lincoln and Laughing Charlie) became acquainted with the mother of the renowned blues guitar performer Curly Weaver, Savannah “Dip” Weaver.  Savannah was an accomplished guitar player, and the Hicks brothers’ interest in the instrument, and eventually the blues, was fostered by hearing her adept musicality.  Savannah, realizing the curiosity that the Hicks brothers had for guitar playing took it upon herself to teach them the essentials of the instrument. 

BB began playing the six-string guitar in alliance with his tutelage from Savannah, while also learning how to sing during his formative time with the Weavers, as was his brother.  The two continued to hone their respective crafts, and around 1922 a young man by the name of Eddie Mapp, a country blues harmonica player, arrived in their hometown area and performed with BB, his brother, and Curly Weaver, with their band becoming quite popular at all the local social events, not only in and near Newton, but all the way into Atlanta, some 205 miles north.  Such was their popularity.

It was inevitable that the popularity of BB’s performing group would lead to its demise, as often is the case, as one or more of the bandmates want to capitalize upon their brand.  BB was the first to attempt to go solo.  By 1926, BB had moved to Atlanta where he worked a series of day jobs.  Of course, he continued upon his musical career path on the side.  While working at a barbecue joint named Tidwell’s Barbecue Place in the toney Atlanta suburb named Buckhead, BB was prone to not only focus on his barbecue preparation specialties, but he would also perform for the establishment’s customers.  Because of this, BB became something of a “must see” spectacle. 

The story goes that due to BB’s performing at Tidwell’s, Dan Hornsby, a Columbia Records A&R man, became aware of BB’s growing popularity and high blues skill sets, and he set about to seeing what the fuss was all about.  Needless to say, Hornsby was very impressed, knowing great talent when he saw and heard it, and took no chances in letting BB get signed by any other label, thus inking BB to a recording deal with Columbia.

Due to BB’s popularity having arisen because of his work at Tidwell’s, it was Hornsby who anointed him with the “Barbecue Bob” moniker.  Going even further, Hornsby was integral in putting out promotional photos of BB in his all-white chef’s clothing, including a hat, for his Columbia Records efforts.

Simply, in the three years and seven months that BB recorded for Columbia Records, he laid-down close to 70 songs, easily making him one of the most prolific blues artists to record for the label for their “race records” segment.  His output was only eclipsed by that of “The Empress Of The Blues,” Bessie Smith, Blind Willie Johnson and his haunting slide guitar and vocal sides, and the wildly popular vocalist Ethel Waters.

BB’s success became so important to Columbia Records that, whenever the label was in the Atlanta area, it became imperative that they enlisted him in a recording session.  During his Columbia Records years, these visits were routinely twice yearly.

At times, BB’s brother would accompany him on record, and at times he enlisted a childhood friend named Nellie Florence to sing on recordings.  And, in addition to his blues efforts, BB would find his way into recording traditional and gospel tunes, as well.

As noted, BB had a broad repertory of musical styles at his disposal, all delivered with his expansive 12-string guitar playing, one that he deployed using a Stella brand instrument.  Again, BB’s fingerpicking on the twelve-string acoustic guitar, with its Piedmont school ragtime tempos, demonstrated his immaculate suppleness on the instrument.  However, BB could also flail on the guitar, and occasionally employed the use of a slide.  Oftentimes, if one listens closely to his work, it is discernable that BB preferred tunings in open G or open A, and it was not at all out of question for him to revert to the six-string guitar, from time-to-time. 

BB’s voice was clear and powerful, with easily understood lyrics.  He was not unaccustomed to a falsetto effect with his vocals, as well.

Around the end of 1930, BB also took part in recordings made by a musical assemblage known as the Georgia Cotton Pickers, a group that included the aforementioned Curly Weaver plus Buddy Moss, a blues harmonica player.  The band was highly adaptable, and leaned into both country blues and jug band output.  These would be BB’s final recordings.

A mere ten months later in Lithonia, Georgia, BB passed away from complications related to pneumonia and tuberculosis that were worsened by a bout of the flu.  

BB should be more of a household name among blues fans, and though he had a sizeable body of work released, his brilliance remains muted among that of many other artists.  That is a shame, because his great blues work has much to offer.

For those interested in BB’s work, below are recordings that should be of interest.

• Barbecue Bob (Robert Hicks) – The Complete Recorded Works of Chronological Order – Volume 1 – 25 March 1927 to 13 April 1928 – Document Records (DOCD-5046)
• Barbecue Bob (Robert Hicks) – The Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order – Volume 2 – 25 April 1928 to 3 November 1929 – Document Records (DOCD-5047)
• Barbecue Bob – We Sure Got Hard Times – The Complete Recorded Works – Volume 3 – 6^th November to 8^th December 1930 – Including Charlie Hicks (aka Charlie Lincoln, Laughing Charlie) / The Georgia Cotton Pickers (Barbecue Bob, Curly Weaver, and Buddy Moss) – Document Records (DOCD-5048)