ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) \u2014 On January 8, 1904, a famed guitarist known as \u201cTampa Red\u201d was born in Georgia.<\/p>\n
Tampa Red got his big break in the 1920s when he was hired to accompany \u201cThe Mother of Blues\u201d Ma Rainey. That\u2019s how he met pianist Georgia Tom Dorsey.<\/p>\n
Georgia Tom and Tampa Red recorded \u201cIt\u2019s Tight Like That\u201d in 1928, and it became a national hit.<\/p>\n
Tampa Red and Georgia Tom went on to record several records together as \u201cThe Hokum Boys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many of those records featured Tampa Red\u2019s iconic slide guitar techniques. He played a metal-bodied National Tricone guitar and slid a bottleneck along the strings, which made for a clear, pure sound.<\/p>\n
His style sounded different than earlier blues styles, so it set the direction for a new era of music.<\/p>\n
In 1940, Tampa Red started playing the electric guitar and reached the top 10 on R&B charts many times with songs like \u201cWhen Things Go Wrong With You.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tampa Red was inducted into the Blues Foundation\u2019s Hall of Fame in 1981.<\/p>\n
Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know.<\/a> Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook<\/a> and X (Twitter)<\/a>. For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store<\/a> or Google Play<\/a>. <\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n