My name is Kathryn D. Hobgood Ray. Eddie “Snoozer” Quinn is my distant relative…. a great-great uncle through my dad’s side of the family. I’d been hearing about my guitar-playing relative, who was supposedly hot stuff, all my life, but never realized how significant Snoozer Quinn was until I was in my early 20s and started realizing that people outside of my family knew him, too…
My bandmate in Shreveport, Steve Howell, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of early country blues and jazz artists, gifted me a photograph of Snoozer Quinn and Louis Armstrong one day, and it set off my curiosity to learn more.
In 2004, I started graduate school at Tulane and my professors encouraged me to pursue this topic in research, and said it would be a real contribution to jazz history. After several years of research, I am so excited about what I’ve uncovered and I am Snoozer’s biggest fan. He made significant contributions to the development of solo jazz guitar (which is the subject of the master’s thesis). My dream is to share Snoozer’s story and his music with the world.
I was born in Bogalusa in 1977, a third generation native of the “Magic City.” It’s called that because it changed (like magic) from a frontier-like lumber mill site into a full-sized city seemingly overnight sometime around 1912. Snoozer was born in nearby McComb, Mississippi in 1907, and his family moved to Bogalusa in 1911.
This project has been enriching in so many ways, including helping me get to know my birth place and distant family. It’s been A LOT of fun exploring all corners of this state as I chase the ghost of Snoozer.
Hi, Kathryn
I’m sure glad you are going to research and hopefully publish on Snoozer. Good luck on unearthing those lost recordings too.
I originally heard of Snoozer when Leo Kottke mentioned him in an interview I read many years ago. I was thinking about that interview the other day. I couldn’t even remember Snoozer’s name, only that Leo said he was one of the best and least known guitarists ever. For some reason I was thinking the guy’s first name was “Sleepy” (!!!) And today I am just trolling around on the web and find his name again and Google has led me here.
The Snoozer Real Audio material on the Booze-bros. site does not play on my Mac, and I am going to try to get someone with a PC to try it, but those links may be broken or the material corrupted.
I am very anxious to hear Snoozer’s music and will keep looking…It would be nice if you or someone could make some MP3s available.
BTW that is one BIG kitty you have there…Franco Americano, neat name too.
Best wishes
Howard
Great project! One suggestion, if it fits. Musicians in general, and the Whiteman bands in particular, are fond of practical jokes. Jazz violinist Joe Venuti describes taking Whiteman’s conducting baton apart and filling the bulb with limburger cheese. They’d observed that he always struck a pose with the baton up close to his face before the downbeat to start a song, and were in hilarity as he predictably made faces at the start of every tune.
What an amazing story! Guy and I love you and wish you the best and are very impressed with all of your abilities.
I’m sorry.
I am a big fan of Snoozer Quin.
It listened to LP of fat cat jazz, and it came to like it terribly.
It looks for Snoozer telephone blues now.
It is 78 rpm. I would like you to teach if there is some information.
I want all 78 rpm.
I cannot speak English. The translation tool is used.
I’m sorry.
Yasuhiro Morimoto, you can find some of the 78s on eBay. But I would love to one day see the entire session re-released…. Maybe we can find a way to make that happen and then everyone can access Snoozer’s music.
I am so happy to have discovered this site. Many years ago a music mentor gave me a third generation tape copy of a scratchy LP of this virtually unknown greatest guitar player ever (especially at that time, being nearly the pre-internet days) and I have cherished it ever since. It has greatly influence my playing and I look forward to someday getting a clean version. Good luck to you in getting it re-released and thank you for your efforts.
I was born in Bogalusa in 1935 and raised there. I attended Bogalusa High as well as Superior Ave. Baptist Church with Nancy Hobgood . I have been a New Orleans Jazz fan all my life and spent many hours listening to the New Orleans Jazz Club radio program on Sunday nights via WWL . I remember one program featuring Snoozer Quinn on one particular recording. This was recorded while Snoozer was dieing of TB in the Charity Hospital in NOLA. He and the great clarinetist, Irving Fazola, played music that I still remember.
Thanks for stirring my memories.
What a wonderful post. I am always thrilled to hear from people who knew or knew of Snoozer when he was alive. And Nancy is my aunt! She became Nancy Kivett.
Hi there and thanks for a great site. We have been working on a website devoted to the pre-war Gibson L-5 and have just added Snoozer as one of its famous players. Do please have a look at http://www.prewargibsonl-5.com. I have added a link to your site on Snoozer’s page – it would be great if you could do the same for us.
Hello Benjie White is my grand father. I was wondering is there more audio to that interview with him. If there is is possible to get a copy.
Thank you Chris White
Hello,
I recently worked with Fresh Sound Records to produce a three CD set of Arv Garrison’s recorded legacy. Currently researching Linda Keene, a contemporary of Arv’s. Came across a photo and article on Snoozer in Metronome from November 1941. Happy to share if you do not have already.
Jim Harrod
Hi Chris, yes! I can help you out.