Harmonica Frank

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Harmonica Frank on cover of Adelphi AD 1023

Harmonica Frank Floyd (b. Toccopola, Mississippi, October 11, 1908; d. Memphis, Tennessee, August 7, 1984) was an American bluessinger, guitarist and harmonicist.

Growing up, Floyd learned many types of American folk music and was an extraordinary mimic; he effortlessly switched from humorous hillbilly ballads to deep country blues. His songs appeared on many all-black blues compilations in the ‘60s and ‘70s, collectors being unable to distinguish his race. Thus he earned the nickname, “The Missing Link”, (i.e., the missing link between white folk and black blues, though he represents no such music).

Harmonica Frank had a long career playing in medicine shows where he developed his old-timey routine. Among other feats, he perfected a technique of manipulating the harmonica with his mouth while he sang out of the other side. He could also play harmonica with his nose and thus play two harmonicas at once, a skill he shared with blues harp players Walter Horton and Gus Cannon's partner Noah Lewis.

His first recordings (“Swamp Root”, “Goin’ Away Walkin’”, “Step It Up and Go”, “Howlin’ Tomcat”, and “She Done Moved”) were made in 1951 by Sam C. Phillips in Memphis, TN, for Chess Records. Phillips got the idea that a white man playing and singing black-oriented music would be a smash sensation, so he was excited to record and produce Harmonica Frank. It was ultimately a failure because Floyd was so old and played music that was archaic and old-fashioned, though Phillips put out two more Floyd singles (“Rockin Chair Daddy”/”The Great Medical Menagerist” in 1954 and “Rock-A-Little Baby”/”Monkey Love” in 1958) on his own labels Sun Records and F&L Records, respectively. Phillips went on to utilize his initial idea to great effect on Elvis Presley; thus Floyd is considered by many to be an important precursor to rock’n’roll.

In 1972 he was 'rediscovered' by Stephen C. LaVere and in the following years recorded two LP albums for the Adelphi and Barrelhouse labels, including a compilation of the early material. Additional full albums were recorded before his death in 1984, many of which are currently available on CD, though his vintage recordings (1951-59) remain out of print and unavailable aside from occasional tracks on compilations.

In his 1975 book ‘’Mystery Train’’, author Greil Marcus presented a unique vision of America and music and how they relate by using (as metaphors) six musicians, one of which is Harmonica Frank Floyd.