Buster Benton (July 19, 1932 – January 20, 1996) was an American blues guitarist and singer, who played guitar in Willie Dixon's Blues All-Stars, and is best known for his solo rendition of the Dixon-penned song "Spider in My Stew." He was tenacious and in the latter part of his lengthy career, despite the amputation of parts of both his legs, Benton never stopped playing his own version of Chicago blues.
Arley Benton was born in Texarkana, Arkansas.
Whilst residing in Toledo, Ohio, during the mid-1950s, and having been influenced by Sam Cooke and B.B. King, Benton began playing blues music. By 1959, he was leading his own band in Chicago. During the 1960s, local record labels, such as Melloway, Alteen, Sonic, and Twinight Records released several Benton singles, before in 1971 he joined Willie Dixon. Indeed, a lack of opportunity in the early 1960s meant that Benton gave up playing professionally for several years, and he worked as an auto mechanic. Benton's earlier work was an amalgam of blues and soul, which he confusingly dubbed 'disco blues'. However, according to Music journalist, Bill Dahl, "in the late 1970s, when the popularity of blues music was at low ebb, Benton's recordings, particularly for Ronn Records, were a breath of fresh air."
"Walkin' Blues" or "Walking Blues" is a blues standard written and recorded by American Delta blues musician Son House in 1930. Although unissued at the time, it was part of House's repertoire and other musicians, including Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters adapted the song and recorded their own versions.
Besides "Walking Blues", Johnson's 1936 rendition incorporates melodic and rhythmic elements from House's "My Black Mama" (which House also used for his "Death Letter") and slide guitar techniques Johnson learned from House. In 1941, Waters recorded the song with some different lyrics as "Country Blues" for his first field recording session for Alan Lomax. It served as the basis for his first charting song "(I Feel Like) Going Home" for Leonard Chess in 1948. He later recorded "Walkin' Blues" with lyrics closer to House's and Johnson's for his first single released on Chess Records in 1950. A variety of musicians recorded the song over the years, usually an electric ensemble piece.
Woke up this mornin', can't find my shoes.
Know by that I got these, walkin' blues.
And I woke this mornin', can't find my shoes.
Yeah you know by that I got, yeah these walkin' blues.
I feel like blowin' lonesome horn.
Got up this mornin', Bernice was gone.
And I feel like blowin' yeah my lonesome horn.
Well I got up this mornin', yeah all I had was gone.
Blow the horn...
Leave this mornin', ride them blinds.
Been mistreated darlin', don't mind dyin'.
I'm leavin' this mornin', have to ride them blinds.
Yeah I've been mistreated now baby, yeah and I don't mind dyin'.
Some people tell me, worried blues ain't bad.
Worst old feelin' ever had.
Now some people tell me, worried blues ain't bad.
Yeah that's the worst old feelin', yeah I've ever had.
Yes that's the worst old feelin', yeah that I ever had